The Reader
by Hopefaith2
Summary: Hope Marianne Boyd gets an once in a lifetime opportunity to save the history that she knows and loves. However, she has to work with the cast of "Hetalia" to stop an evil threat from taking over the world by altering history. She always knew nothing is as it seems. That is especially true when she steps into their crazy, wild world, and the twists and turns that come with it.
1. How It All Began

**_Hello everyone! This_ _is my first attempt at writing a Hetalia fanfiction. So I've been watching a lot of the anime, and reading tons and tons of fanfiction lately, and I thought that I should give it a shot, just to see how it turns out. So, give me your honest opinion about this fanfiction. I don't own anything except myself (and I don't even think I own myself anymore). Hetalia is owned by the god himself (lol I'm kidding. Maybe) Hidekazu Himaruya. So, read, review, and enjoy!_**

**Chapter 1: How It All Began: The Beginning of 'The Reader'**

How in the world did this happen to me? Out of all the people in the world (which is approximately 6 billion people and counting), I was the lucky one to have this happen to me. One minute, I'm trying to read this stupid textbook, next thing I know, I get startled by some crazy person screaming "PASTA!". I turn around and find myself staring face to face with Italy (Yes. The actual country Italy, or his full name Italy Veneziano) from the show "Hetalia". I recognize that goofy ass look and that short, light brown hair with the ridiculous curl from anywhere, and those gorgeous amber eyes that add to his adorable face-whoa. I'm letting the inner fangirl in me run free. Sorry about that. Anyways, he's dressed in usual military uniform, with that ridiculously happy look on his face. Usually, I would be all screaming in happiness seeing one of my favorite anime characters in the flesh and everything, but this just seem way too convenient and somewhat creepy. I keep staring at him, with my mouth opened, and my brown eyes widen at the young man..er personification of a county in front of me. I take my glasses off my face, wipe them on the cloth (which I knew wasn't going to do anything good because they're really scratched up), and put them back on my face. I pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Ouch! Nope. Not dreaming. I slowly get out of my chair, and take a few steps toward him.

"_Ciao Speranza_ _bella_!" He pulls me toward him, and hugs me ridiculously tight. So much for being an illusion and a figment of my imagination. I just stand there, letting him hug me. He pulls me away to kiss both of my cheeks, and I start to blush. He laughs ridiculously at my blushing. Though I don't know much Italian because I took Spanish for six years, but I knew that the languages are pretty similar with one another.

"Uh hi. Did you just say my name in Italian?"

"Yup! It's very pretty! _Ve~_"

"How the hell did you know my name? I never told you name." I say rather strongly. He doesn't even look one bit intimidated by my tone. Typical. He was always way too happy (and oblivious) for me, but I guess that's what adds to his charm and appeal. Yeah, so if you don't know by now, my name is Hope Marianne Boyd. I'm an eighteen year old college freshman majoring in History. And if it isn't obvious enough, I'm really confused at what the hell is going here.

"There was a paper on your desk that had your name on it, _bella_!" I turn toward my desk, and did in fact see my name...on my untouched World History take home test in pink ink. Damn him and his observance skills that he use at random times.

"How did I forget I put that there? That's not the point! What are you doing here in my dorm?"

"We're here to help you! _Ve~_!"

"We?"

"Yeah! Me, Germany, Japan, America, big brothers Romano, France, and Spain, Britain, Russia, all of us! _Ve~_!" I don't care if he was trying to help me-wait did he say America, Japan, Britain, and Spain? They are gonna help me! This is so awesome! I love them so much, and I'm letting my fangirl get the best of me again. And he said Russia too. RUSSIA? How in the world will Russia help me? Scare off bullies and dogs? Threaten my teachers to give me a better grade? Actually the latter doesn't sound like a bad idea. But seriously! I know I should feel honored to have them help me (even if I have no idea what they're helping me with or why for that matter), but I've seen enough episodes to know that it could quickly turn into World War 3 if they start arguing.

"But what exactly are you helping me with, and why?"

"Nope! I can't tell!"

"What? That's not fair! How are going to trespass into my room, proclaim that you and your friends are going to help me, and have the nerve to not tell what you're helping me with and why?" I ask in a very angry tone. I am literally so close into kicking his is cowardly, obnoxious ass.

"Because my big brother Romano said he would chop my balls off if I told you! I don't wanna get my balls chopped off!" He says while he starts to cry really loud. This isn't good. If my roommates came back and see a crying Italian (and let's not forget that he's a guy) in our room, I wouldn't hear the end of how I managed to get a guy back here and made him cry. There would be no way they would believe that he's a fictional character from one of my favorite animes. And who threatens to chop off his own brother's balls anyway? That just seem too cruel! Then again, his brother is Romano. He's always threatening someone, or calling someone a bastard or the sort. I sigh and walk toward him, trying to calm him down.

"Okay! Okay! No one is going to chop off your balls! I won't ask again! I promise! Just please, stop crying!" His crying stops almost immediately, and he's all smiles again, making me wonder if he's bipolar.

"Yay! My balls won't get chopped off! _Ve~_! _Grazie bella_!"

"You're welcome, I guess. If you can't tell me why, can you at least tell me how the hell you got in my room?"

"That's an easy one! You should know that! _Ve~_!"

"Excuse me? Know what?"

"How I got here, _bella_!_ Sei una ragazza__ intelligente_. (You're a smart girl) _Ve~_!" I'm gonna take a guess that he said that I was smart, or something of the sort because intelligente sounds the same as the way you say intelligent in Spanish.

"Can I at least get a hint?"

"_Mi dispiace bella_. Germany said I couldn't give you anything that would help." I'm guessing he's apologizing. I think he really does want to help me, but doesn't want to let Germany down (for the umpteenth time), but manages to anyway in the end. If I ever see Germany, I gonna kill him for telling him not to give me any hints. Then again, he would probably kill me before I even put a hand on him.

"Well, I gotta go now. Germany's making me train again! _Hasta la pasta_!" He says as he waves to me, and disappears with a poof! sound.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" I scream, but I'm too late. He's gone. How does he do that? And how the heck am I supposed to know how he got in my room. Maybe I can think back to earlier in the semester.

_~Flashback: Two months ago~_

"So, Hope, you're actually enjoying your new major?" My roommate, Alicia, asked me while she's listening to her iPod. Recently, I changed my major from Education to History, and I was loving my new major. I was sitting at my desk, looking at Facebook statuses on my laptop, and shaking my head at the really stupid ones, and laughing at the really funny ones. That's what we did every weekend, or days we got off. We just got back from our month long winter break, and the second semester was officially starting tomorrow.

"Yeah. I told you this before earlier today, or were you too busy reuniting with your man by sucking his face to remember?" I said to her in a teasing tone. She laughed at me while she hit me on the shoulder. I couldn't help but laugh at her reaction. It is always so fun teasing my roommate, especially about her boyfriend.

"You know what Hope, talk to me when you find yourself a man, okay?"

"Excuse me, but who says I want a man at the moment?" I said not taking my face off my laptop screen.

"So, you're lesbian?" I put my hand to my face, and groaned in irritation. Sometimes, my roommate was very slow to understand sarcasm, but she means well (most of the time).

"No, you moron. I mean I'm not looking for a man at the moment."

"You always say that, Hope. You don't even make the effort to go out meet them!"

"I do so! I'll have you know that most of my friends here are guys!"

"That's because they all live in the same building! That doesn't count. You don't go out to try and meet them at clubs, or bars! You don't even go to them!"

"Let me tell you why. Whenever you guys drag me to a club or a bar, I just stand there, irritated, and waiting for us to leave. You know how much I hate going to them, and yet you still make me go anyway!"

"We just want to see you meet someone, on a romantic level."

"At a bar. How romantic." I said sarcastically toward her. She rolled her eyes at me.

"At least try to make an effort, and meet someone this semester. Please?" Alicia says as she goes on her knees and beg. Yeah, she really wants to meet a guy and get a boyfriend like her. See, she met her boyfriend when school started, which was around August, and she's been bugging me to meet a guy, so I wouldn't be "alone", or something like that ever since.

"Fine. I'll make the effort if it gets you off my damn back. Happy?" She squealed and hugged me. I rolled my eyes, not really caring about the affection I get from her. I've gotten used to it by now, and at this point, I really could care less.

"Very happy. Thank you, Hope."

"Yeah, yeah. Now let go of me. You've been with Duane today. I can smell the Old Spice on you." She laughed as she let me go, and climbed into bed. It was getting pretty late, and I had a 9:05 class in the morning. I shut off my laptop, and climbed on my top bunk.

"Night, Hope."

"Night."

Okay so that wasn't the flashback I wanted to remember. But that reminds how my friends are trying to set me up on a date with that Brando guy. Anyways, how the hell does a fictional character suddenly pop up in my dorm room? The weird thing is that it happened two days after my recent shopping trip.

_~Flashback: Two days ago~_

I was walking to Rite-Aid which was a couple of blocks from Campus. Every time I walk to Rite-Aid I usually pass by a couple of stores, including this antique shop. I walked passed the Antique shop again, this time stopping when I see a box filled with books, along with the sign "2 dollar books!". I had to reach inside the box to see which books they help.

"Well this is a surprise. I never thought I would see a young adult looking at this shop." I jumped, startled at the voice to see it's the owner of the shop. He was short, old white man wearing a green sweater, and a pair of faded blue jeans. He had a couple of hairs left on his head, but he had an awesome mustache, really (and I mean REALLY) bushy eyebrows, and a pair of simple, black glasses.

"I'm sorry to have frighten you, miss."

"No, it's fine. I just saw the books, and I couldn't help but take a look at them."

"A reader. Very interesting. You're from the college down the street?"

"Yes I am."

"Literature Major?"

"History actually."

"A History major. How very interesting and rare."

"Yeah. We're a dying breed. Everyone thinks it's really boring, but I absolutely love it. Who wouldn't want to read about important events that shaped the world today? Everyone should read some type of history. If you don't learn from your past, you are bound to make the same mistakes in the future, am I right?"

"Indeed you are, dear. I do believe I have a book for you that will help you in your major. Wait right here." He said as he walked into the store. I waited for about five minutes, and then he came back with a medium sized, brown hardcover book. He slowly puts it in my hands.

"This will certainly give you a very new perspective on your major. This has everything you need, and much more than you would expect from a book like this. And who knows? Perhaps you can give something to this book as well."

"Thanks. How much will it cost?"

"Only two dollars. It's very old, and needs to be sold." I went to the register, and paid for the book. I put the book in my bag, and left the store.

"Thank you for the book! Have a good day!"

"And you too my dear! Handle that book with care! It's very precious!"

"Sure thing! I'll keep it safe! I promise!" I walked out of the store, and kept walking to Rite-Aid.

~Present Day~

I look at the book I bought from that shop. I pick it up from my desk, and open it for the first time. I opened the first page to see nothing but a few sentences of writing in it.

_To whom this book may concern,_

_You have been given the opportunity to become the owner of this book, and to receive an amazing opportunity and title that comes with it. This book for the true lovers of history. Only they can truly understand the concept of this book. Use it wisely, for it could be drastic if it fell into the wrong hands. If you would, sign your full name on the line. Once that is done, we can truly begin. But be warned. When you sign your name on the line, you are agreeing to take on the responsibilities and such that comes with this book. If you do not wish to take them on, then do not sign it, and return the book back to where you found it. But if you're truly confident in your knowledge, and yourself, then by all means sign it. Happy reading and exploring the book! You won't regret it._

_Sincerely,_

_The Gentleman.  
_

Okay, so that somewhat (but not much) explains how he got into my room, I guess. But, I still have a couple of questions that needed to be solved:

1) Why the hell is Italy from the cast of "Hetalia" popping up in my room, defying every law that science possesses?

2) What was so damn special about this book that it had to be so choosy about it's owner?

3) What was so important that I had to write my in this book?

4) What would happen if I did write my name on the line?

5) What opportunity and title could I get from singing in this book?

"I know I'm not gonna get my answers by standing around and asking myself. I gotta do what this 'gentleman' tells me. I better sign my name on the book. Sides, I never return a book I purchase, and I'm not going to start now." I turn the page and see:

_This book belongs to:_

"Here goes absolutely everything." I pick up my pen, and sign in a pretty good attempt of script my name on the line.

_Hope_ _Marianne Boyd_

After I finished that, I put the pen down, and wait for something to happen. A few minutes I wait for something to happen. Anything! But, nothing happens. What a waste.

"Well that was a bunch of crap. Whatever. I better get going to the dining hall. I'm starting to get hungry, and they close in a few hours." I close the book, and set it down on my desk. I start to walk to the door, and turn off the light. For some reason, a wind starts to blow (which is weird because the window's closed), and somehow knocks the book on my floor. I turn around, and start to walk toward it. The book starts to glow this weird pink color as it flips pages.

"Ah crap. I'm so screwed." The book started to glow brighter and brighter, as the light illuminated the entire room until I couldn't see anymore. I close my eyes to block out of the light, but it was too strong for me to cover. I felt myself getting dizzy from the light, and I could barely hold myself up. I slowly went on my knees as I put a hand on my head. I close my eyes, and fell onto the floor as everything around me became black and quiet.

And this is how the adventure of my life begin. All because of a happy Italian, and my signature in an old book.

_**And this is the first chapter! So, review, and have a great day! Until next time!**_

_**~Hopefaith2**_


	2. Meeting the Cast and RPG much?

_**Hey everyone! I'm so surprised I got six reviews on one chapter! Most stories on here don't even get one review! So, major thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, alerted, or just read the story! So we move from first person P.O.V to third! There will be some tense changing every couple of chapters. And I try to keep everyone in character, and not make myself look like a Mary Sue as hard as I can. If I did do something wrong, please don't hesitate to write it in the review. So here it is after three days of waiting (Since I took it down, revised it once more, and uploaded it again), chapter 2! I don't own anything in this chapter except myself (For how long I wonder lol). This may not be as good as the first chapter cause I'm still kinda new to this. So, read and review, and enjoy!  
**_

**Chapter 2: Meeting The Cast, And RPG Much?**

"So zis is 'er? She looks very pretty, especially when she's sleeping. _Oh honhonhonhonhon._" France says as the countries surround the unconscious young woman on the bed. The young woman has brown skin, with brown hair that's in a half ass bun. She's wearing a dark purple long sleeved sweater with dark blue jeans, and black boots. Her dark pink glasses are resting on the table next to the bed.

"Beat it frog! There's no way I'm letting you defile her, you pervert! She is the answer to our current predicament."

"Germany! Is she alright_ ve_~?"

"_Ja._ I'm sure she's fine, Italy. The light must have blinded her, and caused her to pass out. She'll vake up soon."

"Stop talking to my _fratello _(brother), you good for nothing potato bastard!"

"Be nice Lovi~. Though I will agree with _Francia_. _L__a ____señorita_ es muy bonita (The girl is very pretty)."

"Dude! Why don't we put a hamburger on her head? It'll heal her real quick! And she'll wake up all thanks to me! The hero!"

"That's just ridiculous you _git_! No wonder your healthcare is so horrible." _The English accented guy is right. Our healthcare sucks major ass. It's so bad, Congress can't even agree on one!_

"She'll become one with Russia when she awake, _Дa_?"

"Ohhhhh." The African American girl moans as she starts to gain consciousness.

"Look! She's waking up, _aru_!"

"What the heck happened?" Hope says to herself as she opens her eyes, and slowly gets up to see a group of sexy looking young men from the show "Hetalia" surrounding her, and looking at her. _I'm really hoping this is a dream, but I'm slowly starting to think that it's not._

"You've got to be kidding me. I must be dreaming right now. This cannot possibly be real." Hope says skeptically. She finds herself on a bed with a Hello Kitty sheets and comforter._ I'm gonna go on a limb here and say this is China's bed that I'm on_. Japan slowly sits down on the bed beside her, but giving them enough space between them. He picks ups her glasses, and hands them to her.

"How do you feer, Hope-_chan_?" _How does he know my name? Oh right. Italy can't keep his mouth shut to save his life._

"Mostly confused, but fine. Thank you for the concern." Hope smiles weakly toward him as she takes her glasses from him and puts them on her face. He nods in return, emotionless as usual.

"How are you still confused? You should know why you're here! Didn't you read the letter in the book before you signed the damn thing! I swear, Americans just sign things that they don't even read!" Hope glares as she raises her eyebrow at the English man.

"Now wait a damn minute! For your information, I did read that little letter about the responsibilities that came with the book and such. Give me some credit, bushy brows." Hope says as she crosses her arms at Britain. America and France start to chuckle, while Britain doesn't look too pleased. In fact, he looks really pissed off, especially since she made fun of his eyebrows.

"Excuse me! How dare you! Didn't your parents ever teach you to respect your elders?"

"My parents taught me to give respect to those who deserve it, and who give it to me. So far, you haven't done either, so why should I?!" Hope narrows her brown eyes at him, and he narrows his green eyes back at her.

"Enough! This is not the time to be arguing! Let's just focus on the task at hand,_ aru_." China says, hoping that he ended the fight before it began. Britain sighs, knowing that he's right.

"You're right. I'm sorry we got off the wrong foot,_ love_. Let's start over. _'Ello love_. I'm the United Kingdom, but you may call me Britain for short."

"Wassup dudette! I'm America, and I'm the hero!" _Jeez. Is that how Americans are seemed as? I ashamed to admit that this is somewhat accurate._

"_Bonjour mademoiselle_. I am France, and may I say zat you are quite lovely when you're angry, _mademoiselle_." France says as he bends down, lifts up her right hand, and kisses the back of it. She starts to blush a light pink color. _Blushing at the perv who'll flirt with anything that breathes. Nice going Hope._

"Thank you...I think."

"_Здравствуйте_! I am Russia. You become one with me, _Дa_?" Hope does an anime sweat drop (which she can apparently see now).

"Uhhh maybe later." Russia smiles and nods at her.

"_Nǐ hǎo_! I'm China, _aru_!"

"_Konnichiwa_. I am Japan."

"_Guten Tag_. I am Germany."

"_Ciao bella_! I'm Italy! _Ve_~."

"I know who you are Italy. We already met. You trespassed into my dorm a couple of minutes ago, remember?"

"Oh yeah! We did! And this is my _fratello_, Romano! He's South Italy!"

"Hey." Hope smiles and waves in acknowledgement to Romano.

"_Hola_ ___señorita_. I'm Spain. And your name?" _His accent is so Spanish and sexy and-stop it Hope! You're letting the fangirl get to you again! Self control woman!  
_

"Hi. My name is Hope Marianne Boyd, but you can just call me Hope. Hope's my first name. It's a pleasure to meet you all, and I apologize for snapping at you like that earlier, Britain."

"It's alright,_ love_. The letter in the book wasn't specific as I hoped it would be. I was hoping it would explain everything, so we could avoid this, but I wasn't paying attention to exactly what I wrote."

"Wait, you wrote the letter on the first page of the book?"

"Indeed I did."

"Oh. Just to let you know, that letter was kinda vague, and crappy too. It sounded like it was written and put together in five minutes. Like five minutes before you sent it out into the world bad."

"Excuse me! I'd like to see you write something better on a time limit, missy!"

"You're about to start fighting again, _aru!_"

"Right, my bad. So, are you going to tell me what exactly am I here for?"

"Of course. Who would like to explain to Hope what our current predicament is?"

"I would! The hero is always informative!"

"Hope will be more confused if America tells her, _Дa_?"

"Hey! Zip it commie!"

"Germany! I wanna tell her _ve_~!"

"Absolutely not! You vill go completely off topic, and start talking about pasta again!"

"Awww. Well, why don't you tell her Germany? You're always straight to the point _ve_~!"

"There's no way you're telling her, potato bastard! You'll bewitch her with your barbaric, potato eating lies!"

"Then who wirr terr Hope_-chan_ what is going on?"

"Can somebody please tell me what is going on here without the threat of World War 3 starting?" Hope says as they all stop arguing and look at her.

"I will. Now please bare with me ___señorita_. _Tu hablas_ _español_ (Do you speak Spanish?)?"

"_Si. __Yo puedo a comprender __español_. Yo hablo español asi asi. (Yes. I'm able to understand Spanish. I speak Spanish okay.)"

"A Spanish speaker! So I will switch between English and Spanish. Sounds fair?"

"Yeah. So what's going on?"

"Well, _la historia del mundo_ (World History) have been tampered. Some events are mildly changed, but others are drastically changed, that your present can change for the worst indefinitely." Hope's eyes widen, and her mouth falls open to the news.

"¿_Qué_? But how?" _That's not possible. Can History really be altered like that?_

"Well, _Inglaterra _(England) said that someone or something is using powerful _magia negra_ (black magic) to bend History to it's desires."

"So if this thing is using magic, can't Britain just use his magic against it? You know, fight fire with fire?"

"It doesn't work that way, _love_. I can't do much against it. This magic is stronger than any magic I've ever done or seen. I'm powerless against it. That's where you come in."

"Me? How so?"

"We needed someone who fit the criteria to help us."

"And that criteria is what exactly?"

"A shortened, generalized version of that would be a history major with a strong but gentle heart, and a powerful love for reading and History. When were you born?"

"October 13, 1993. Why?"

"So you're a Libra."

"Yeah. So what?"

"I'm sure you know that Libra is the only sign under the astrological zodiac that is represented by a non-living symbol. The symbol of Libra, the scales, means balance."

"No duh. Anything else that I already know you wanna remind me about?" Hope asks, clearly annoyed.

"Oh _hush up, and don't get your knickers in a bunch_! As I was saying, you are a Libra. That means that you are diplomatic. As I recall, being diplomatic means that you have a strong sense of justice, and let's not forget that you are kindhearted and generous. You would go to the far lengths to help someone. Knowing you, and your sign, you would never turn away anyone who needs help, and from injustice. Am I correct?"

"Yeah. That would be cruel and inhumane to do that. Why are those out all of things so important?"

"Because being diplomatic, kindhearted, and generous are parts of the criteria needed to be The Reader."

"The what?"

"The Reader. The title given to the young individual who signs his or her name in the book. The Reader is supposed to gather information, fix History back to the way it's supposed to be, prevent further tampering, and defeat whoever is tarnishing it using the book you received. Understand, _love_?"

"I understand. I hate to break it you guys, but that's easier said than done."

"How so, _love_?"

"For starters, I don't know every single event in History. I don't think there's anyone alive that does! I'm only 18! Even though I am a History major, how do you expect me to fix events in History I haven't even learned yet?"

"That's why we're here, dudette! We're going to guide you through our moments in history, and help you out whenever you're in a jam! Cause heroes always help those who need it!" America says as he puts an arm around her shoulder, causing her to blush again.

"So I have to fix the damaged history, prevent future tampering, and defeat whoever's behind it using only a book, and you guys to help me?"

"Yup _ve~_! So will you help us, _Speranza_ _bella_?"

"..."

"Hope, _aru_?"

"..."

"Hope-_chan_? Prease say something."

"..."

"You will help us, _Дa_?" Russia says as a purple-pinkish aura starts to surround him. She starts to shake in fear at the sight of the aura. She takes a very very deep breath, and starts to speak again.

"I'm really honored that you guys chose me, out of everyone in the world, to help you. I truly am. But do you guys honestly believe that I'm able to save history, and life as we know it all on my own?"

"_Claro _(Of course)! But remember_ señorita_, you will not be alone! You'll always have one of us _para ayudarle_ (to help you)!"

"The tomato bastard's right, _bella_. And if we didn't think you can handle this, then you wouldn't have been given the damn book in the first place."

"'e is right, _mademoiselle_. And if you do not 'elp us, zen your world will start to suffer from ze changes as well."

"So not only am I helping you guys save your history and your butts, but I'm saving my world history as well?"

"_Hai_. Not onry wirr you herp us save our histery, but we'rr herp you save yours as werr. So, we're basicarry herping each other to survive and save our worrds."

"So if I want to save my world and history, then I'll have to save yours too. It's basically equivlent exchange, am I right?."

"Exactly, _love_. Wait, did you just use an Alchemy term? How in the world do you know that?"

"It kinda came up in my Human Biology class last semester, and I was curious. So this is really a do or die choice, huh?"

"_Ja_, so you vill have no choice but to accept this. The vole vorld is counting on you, to fix our past, and save our present and future."

"But no pressure, right?" She says jokingly towards Germany, who gives her a stern look in return that shows that he's not joking. She begins to laugh nervously. She gets up from the bed, stretches her arms around, and looks toward the countries, who are anticipating her answer (except Russia, Germany, and Japan because they never show such emotion).

"Seeing as I really don't have a choice, I guess I'm in. I'll do everything I can to help you guys." The countries (except for the ones mention above) start to cheer, and hug and kiss (from Francis, Italy, and Spain, who love to be affectionate) her as a sign of their gratitude.

"Now that is finally settled, let's begin with The Magna-"

"Wait a minute! Don't I get a tutorial, or a trial run or something? You know, to make sure I actually know what I'm doing?"

"This isn't a video game, _love_. But you do make a very good point. Fine. Let's start on an easy topic."

"I know! We can start on my founding fathers signing the Declaration of Independence on my birthday to break away from you!"

"That's a ridiculous idea!"

"Actually, that's not a bad idea, America. I mean, the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4th, 1776 to declare Independence from King George the Third of Great Britain in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They've been putting that crap in our brains since kindergarten. This one should be easy as hell for me." Hope says as she displays her historical abilities to the men while adjusting her glasses.

"Ze _mademoiselle_ has a point. We should let 'er start on something easy, zen work 'er way up." Britain huffs in anger and annoyance at the two countries ganging up on him, and actually being right.

"Oh fine! You win. I'm warning you right now, you _git_. You better watch over her, America. Do not put her into unnecessary danger, and bring her back safely. You have a habit of jumping into things you can't handle."

"No prob! The hero always brings people back safe and sound!"

"Yeah, I just have a few more questions. 1) How in the hell am I supposed to get there and back, and travel through History? I don't have a time traveling phone booth, ya know."

"You watch Doctor Who!_ By jove_! I love that show! It's about time I met another fan!"

"I've caught glimpses of it, but it seems really good! I have a few friends that love it too."

"You need to watch the series from the beginning! It's quite intriguing and genuine. You will love it."

"Getting off topic again, _aru_!"

"Right, sorry. Anyways, you open the book, say the date, and you're there. When you're done, just say present day, and you'll be back here. It's that easy _love_." England says as he hands her the book. She takes the book, and quickly turns all the pages inside.

"It sounds easy enough. And 2) What am I supposed to do if that thing that's tampering with History is there? I mean, I can't fight that well, and I'm gonna need to protect myself just in case there are times you guys *coughItalycough* can't. I mean, can't I have some type of weapon to defend myself?"

"A good point. How about this: When you come back from this, I'll have something for you to use to help defend yourself. Until then, try to avoid them as much as you can."

"Yeah! Leave those bad guys to me! I'll protect you, Hope! Cause I'm the hero, and that's what heroes do!"

"As much as it kills me inside for saying this, but the _git_ is right. America has superhuman strength, so that will definitely help in your favor. Just stay by him, and you'll be fine. Any more questions?"

"Nope. I think that's it."

"Good. And now I'm going to give you some tips. First off, it's imperative for you to always adapt to the times. Your clothing will change to match with the current time you're in, as well as your hairstyle. For example: say you went to the Napoleonic Era with France (France: Oh _honhonhonhonhon_), you would be wearing French style clothing and a french hairstyle instead of the clothes you're wearing now. It's to help fit in more, and so people won't get suspicious and call you a witch and scream for you to burn at the stake." Hope stares at him with wide eyes and an open mouth, causing him to laugh nervously at her.

"Okay. Don't stand out, or get burned at the stake. Right. Anything else I should know?"

"Don't steal things from the time while you're there (Hope: Damn). Don't try to change events that are unrelated, and/or related to the task at hand. You'll tamper with History, and that's not a good thing. Obviously you know that already since that's the reason why you're here, but I'm just giving you a fair warning. Get in, do your job, and get out. Only talk to people when it is an absolute necessity. Understand?"

"I got it. Jeez. This is sounding more and more like a RPG by the minute."

"You would think that with your video games and such. Americans. And one more thing, and this is the most important piece of information I will tell you: DO NOT LOSE THAT BOOK. Not only is that book to only key to saving our worlds, and the only tool that allows you to travel around history, but it has the entire world history in it. If this book fell into the wrong hands, it would catastrophic."

"But you said I would be the only one who could use it. Why is it so important that I don't lose it?"

"While you are the only one who can use it, someone from the time you're in, like Genghis Khan, could manage to get his hands on it. If he reads it, he could change the course of history to his advantage. And that wouldn't be very good."

"That would be really bad when you put it that way. This is definitely not going to be a walk in the park, huh?"

"No, it will not. If being The Reader was that easy, then anyone could have this job, _love_. While this is a very important job, it is also a very dangerous one. This is why I was so picky with whoever received the book. That's why I warned you in the letter on the page that if you think you couldn't handle everything that came with it, not to sign it."

"Well, there's no turning back now. I decided to sign my name on that dotted line, and I'm going to stick with that decision through thick and thin."

"That's what I want to hear from you. Well, you two better be off if you want a head start from the villain. Good luck, and be very careful. Watch over her America, and I mean it. We can't afford for Hope to get injured, or worse. If something does happen-"

"Relax, Iggy. You're worrying way too much. Hope can totally handle this. And with me by her side, this will be a piece of cake for the both of us."

"That's what I'm afraid of. And don't call me Iggy, you _git_! It's Britain!"

"Yeah yeah. Ready to go, Hope?"

"I guess. I'm a little skeptical about all this, but I'm sure I can do it with you guys helping me out. I just hope nothing too bad happens while we're there." Hope says as she looks down at the book. America puts a hand around her shoulder, and looks directly into her eyes.

"Hope, I promise you on my life that I will not let anything happen to you while we're there." America says in a very serious tone, while looking very serious. Hope is startled by the sudden change of tone. _I never heard America sound so serious before. And he looks really serious too with those gorgeous blue eyes. It's actually kinda sexy once you think about it-whoa! Stop letting the fangirl free Hope. You're here to save the world, not go crazy over how sexy they're are...even though it's true._

"You really mean that?"

"Of course! A hero always keeps his promises!" America says while the playfulness and happy tone returns to his voice and face. Hope is touched by his determination and heroism toward her, and smiles softly at America.

"Thank you, America. Now, I feel a bit more safer going in there. Maybe this won't be so bad after all."

"Awesome! So what are we waiting for? Let's do it!" America puts an arm around her waist, and pulls her toward him, causing her to blush crimson red at the gesture.

"I don't want us to lose each other when we get there. You don't mind me doing this right? Is this uncomfortable for you?"

"N-no! You're fine. Really, I don't mind. Way to think ahead."

"The hero always thinks ahead!" America says confidently, causing Hope to sweat drop again. _Way to ruin the moment, America._

"Okay. Here goes." Hope says uncertainly as she opens the book to a random page.

"July 4th, 1776." Hope says somewhat nervously. The book starts to glow yet again the same bright pink color as before. Hope shuts her eyes to block the intensity of the brightness. The brightness surrounds the American duo, and soon enough they disappear as the bright light dims into nothingness.

_**So that's chapter 2! Sorry if it's not more than what you expected. I promise I'll revise it over this weekend. So, leave a review! Until next time!**_

_**~Hopefaith2**_


	3. The Fight For Independence!

_**Hey guys! It's me again bringing you another chapter of "The Reader". I'm really glad you guys are enjoying this fanfic (according to the reviews and hits I've been receiving so far, it's safe to say that you are enjoying it lol). Now, this is where the adventure begins! It's time to start the first mission, and there's no topic I rather start with than American History. So, the partner of this mission and chapter is the one and only, America! Get ready to take a trip down memory lane as the first stop is July 4th, 1776. I don't own anything except myself and the villain! So read and review. I really hope you guys enjoy this, because it took almost 6 hours to write on Friday, and then I spent the past few days revising and revising. If you don't know, I revise my work a lot to fix spelling, grammar errors, or if I don't like the way something was written, and I want to change it up. And I got really, really carried away with this chapter, so that's why there's over 6,000 words. So from me to you, I give you chapter 3. Happy reading!**_

**Mission One: The Fight For Independence! Team Up With America and Become The American duo!**

Philadelphia, (Pennsylvania) America: July 4th, 1776

About one hundred feet away from Independence Hall, a small pinkish purple starts to glows in an alley. The light grows bigger and bigger as well as brighter as two people slowly comes into view. The light fades, then disappears. A young African American woman is wearing a gown that consists of a white cap that's on top of her short brown hair, a black bodice that's on top of her white, long sleeved shirt, and an long orange colored skirt, with a pair of regular brown glasses over her eyes. She is holding a brown colored book in her hands close to her chest. The second person is revealed is to be a young Caucasian man wearing a three-cornered hat on top of his blond hair, a white linen undershirt, black breeches, white stockings, and a black waistcoat. He's also wearing glasses over his eyes, but his glasses are thin in comparison to the young woman's. After the light dims, the two young adults adjust their eyes to the new sight in front of them. The young man has his hand around the young woman's waist, so they wouldn't get separated during the travel. The young woman looks around her surroundings for a bit with her brown eyes, and smiles at the results.

"Looks like we made it. That was surprisingly quick for traveling almost 300 years back in time."

"Yeah. How do you feel? Are you okay?" The young man asks as he looks down at the young woman he's holding onto with sincerity and concern in his blue eyes. She looks up at him and starts to blush a light pink color.

"I'm fine. This whole time traveling thing wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. What about you? Are you alright?"

"Of course I am. The hero is always alright!" She does another anime sweat drop at his statement. They look at each other, and realize that the young man still has his hand around her waist. They quickly let go of each other, while both parties are blushing (though the young woman is blushing harder than the young man).

"Right. Now all we gotta do is find out where the Declaration is being signed, and protect it until it's signed, sealed, and delivered! That sounds easy enough. You obviously know where the Declaration of Independence is being signed at, right America?"

"Uhhhh..."

"You do know where it is? Right, America?"

"Ummm."

"RIGHT?"

"Can I use a lifeline?"

"Seriously, America! How the hell do you not know where your own document that led to your own freaking independence is being signed at?"

"Well, I don't even remember being there when they signed it and stuff."

"Are you kidding me? How are we supposed to protect the Declaration of Independence if you don't have the slightest idea where it is?"

"Well, aren't you The Reader, and my citizen? Shouldn't you already know this?"

"Well, you're The United States of freaking America! You should know something like this by heart! Now, what are we supposed to do? Just sit here and wait for a cry for help?"

"Relax, Hope. You're forgetting something."

"And what's that?"

'We're in Philadelphia! The city where it got signed! This isn't a very big city, and people talk all the time! Why don't we just ask the locals?"

"That's a great idea! And who knows? Maybe we'll run into one of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence!"

"That's the spirit, Hope! Just keep ya head up! We'll find that declaration in no time!"

"Wait a minute. There's a problem with your idea."

"What's that?"

"I'm of African descent. Ya know, black."

"Yeah. So?"

"If I went up to a man asking about where the Declaration of Independence is going to be signed, do you know what he would do to me?"

"Ummm no."

"Honestly?"

"Alright. I see what you're getting at. They would probably think you're an escaped slave, then drag you to the nearest seller, who would sell you to the highest bidder."

"Exactly. And now we're back to square one, with no progress made whatsoever. I'm sorry."

"For what? Why are you apologizing?"

"Because we would have found out by now where the Declaration of Independence was being signed at if it wasn't for me and the fact that I'm African American. I managed to screw things up yet again." Hope says sadly as she sits down on a box, puts the book on her lap, and sighs. America kneels in front of her, and forces her to look up at him.

"Hey! Don't you ever apologize for being what you are. You are a strong, smart black woman and you should be proud of that, not ashamed. I know for a fact that your ancestors would be. You should never be ashamed of that. Being African American makes you unique as an American. I'm glad that I'm filled with so many unique people with unique races and ethnicity." America says seriously to her, but it doesn't do much to cheer her up.

"You know, I'm glad you are African American." America says sincerely toward the college student. She looks at him with shock written on her face.

"Really? Why?"

"Because we need a soul sista to jive up the place. Besides, I wouldn't want you in any other way than you are now." She giggles at the corny joke made to cheer her up.

"Now let's put a smile on that face, and find that Declaration of Independence, miss Reader." America says as he stands up, and puts out his hand for her to grab. Hope smiles with new found hope (no pun intended) as she grabs his hand (while blushing as usual). She gets up from the box, and looks at America.

"Yeah. Thank you for cheering me up America. And don't ever say soul sista ever again, for as long as you live." America starts to laugh loudly.

"It's no problem! The hero always cheers people up! Besides, I can't just sit here and watch my citizen blame herself for nothing." _He may be arrogant, and a bit clueless at times, but he has a big heart, and he's __always there when you need him. Maybe this won't be as bad as I thought._

"Help! Someone! Please help me!"

"Hope, did you hear that?"

"Yeah. It sounds like someone's in trouble."

"It's time for me, the hero, and you, my lovely sidekick, to show what we're made of the bad guy who's destroying history!" America rushes toward the screams, accidentally leaving Hope behind. Hope blushes at the compliment of him calling her lovely, but then quickly realizes that he called her a sidekick. She turns to yell at him, but sees that he's already running to source of the screams. She picks up her skirt, and starts to run to catch up with him. After a couple of minutes, she finds him hiding behind a wall, and runs toward him. She takes another couple of seconds to catch her breath.

"Wait a minute! Why do I have to be the sidekick?" She complains to him after she caught her breath.

"Because you're not supposed to be fighting in the first place. Duh! Iggy would definitely freak out if something happened to you."

"Yeah, but I am not some defenseless damsel in distress. I can actually fight and defend myself!"

"Until Iggy gives you something that can be used to fight, you can't go out there. You may be able to fight back and such in your world, but you're in another world for starters. And secondly, we don't know what we're up against. You shouldn't be trying fight something you don't know."

"Yeah. I guess you're right. Holy crap you just actually made an excellent argument."

"Yeah. Is there something wrong with that?"

"No! No! There's nothing wrong with it! I mean, you're always clueless and not making much sense. It's just weird seeing you all collected, and logical for once."

"Ahhh!" The scream cause the American duo to look around the wall. They find a Caucasian, middle aged man with short dark brown hair and brown eyes wearing an outfit similar to Americas, except he's not wearing a hat, and his breeches and waistcoat is brown. In his hands is a group of papers that he's holding to his chest while he's against the wall. He's surrounded by five black human shaped blobs with red antennae on their heads. Behind them is a man wearing a black cape that covers everything except his face, his dark green pants, and his black boots. His face is being covered by a white mask.

"Whoa! Those guys look like the Pictonians!"

"The pictowhat?"

"They were these aliens dudes that came to Earth to turn it all white and stuff, and tried to make everyone to look just like them. But they left after Italy gave the princess a marker. But they're white with yellow green antennae, not black with red ones." _That's right. From the Paint it White! Movie. How in the world could I forget that? That's where I learned how to Bon Bon dance._

"Do you think it could be them under a spell or something?"

"That's a possibility. This guy seems like he would do a lot to help him reach his goals."

"Now. I'm going to say this again, Mr. Jefferson. Hand over the Declaration of Independence, and I will spare your pathetic life." Hope flinches at the name that was said. Her eyes widen as she realizes that she's seeing in the flesh the author of the Declaration of Independence, one of the founding fathers of her country, and the third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. _Holy Sugar Honey Iced Tea! That's Thomas Jefferson! I'm actually going to meet Thomas Jefferson in person! This is so awesome!_

"Never! I rather die in the name of liberty and freedom than give this important document to you!"

"So be it then! Minions! Kill the man and bring me the Declaration!"

"That's my cue. I'm going to go out there and help the guy. Hope, you stay here until I tell you that it's safe to come out. I don't want to risk you getting hurt during this. Okay?" America whispers seriously toward her before he runs into the scene.

"I understand. Be careful."

"I'm the hero! I'm always careful!" America says as he rushes toward the scene. The minions make their way toward the man, but they don't get far as they all were sent back by America's ridiculously strong punches.

"Sorry to rain on your parade, but you won't be going through with your plans today!" America says heroically, as he stands in a heroic pose. It causes Hope to roll her eyes at the scene. _Really America? You couldn't just save they guy, and leave it at that?_

"America! Thank goodness you're here!"

"Hey Tommy! How you've been?"

"Well, well. If it isn't America, the poster child of democracy and freedom himself. To what pleasure do I owe this visit?"

"You know damn well why I'm here. There's no way I'm letting you take that document. Not while I'm still around."

"And that's the reason why I'm taking it. To make sure you don't stick around. Stealing this is one step into destroying your existence, and it gets me one step closer into getting what I truly want."

"And that is?"

"The book! The all mighty, and all powerful book that has all the history of the world in it. With it, I'll be able to use it's powers to destroy you, and all the countries, and change history into the way I want it. And the way I want it involves me as supreme ruler as the world, while your people become my slaves."

"If you think I'm going to let you even try to achieve that crazy idea, then you're wrong. I'll do everything I can to stop you. Because I'm the hero, and Heroes always win!"

"Is that so? Well, I might just have to change that. Minions! Destroy the United States of America, and bring me that blasted declaration from Jefferson!" The masked figure says as he points toward Jefferson, only to discover that he and the declaration are no longer there.

"What! Where did he go?!" America looks at his original hiding spot to see that Hope is no longer there as well. He smiles, and chuckles to himself, knowing that she actually managed to sneak away Thomas Jefferson, and the document without getting caught.

"Damn it all! You all, defeat America. I will get the document back myself." The villain says as he surrounds himself with a dark aura and disappears from sight.

"Aw man! Hope's in danger! I have to get to her before he does." America says as he tries to run after them, but is blocked by the minions, once again.

"You guys want to get your asses whooped again? Fine by me, but let's make this quick. A special friend of mine needs help from the hero, and I can't let her down." America says as he gets into a fighting position.

Independence Hall

"We're here, Mr. Jefferson. Independence Hall, just like you said."

"Thank you, slave. How can I repay your master for your help?"

"Knowing that you're going to hand in that document to prove that we're independent from England is payment enough for master America. Now go get this land out of England's tyranny!"

"I will do. In the name of Liberty and freedom for the United States of America." Jefferson says proudly as he bids her farewell, and walks inside the building. She silently cheers for the fact that she actually saved a part of history.

"Yes! I actually did it! And it wasn't so bad after all! All I gotta do now is find America, and get the hell out of here, and out of this dress."

"Well, what do we have here?" Hope jumps, startled by the voice, and turns around to see the masked man from before. He smiles wickedly at her as he takes a few steps toward her, while she takes a few steps back.

"So you're the reason why Thomas Jefferson and that blasted document got away from my grasp. Please tell me why does a young woman, an African American woman for that matter, allied herself with America, and helped protect Thomas Jefferson and that blasted Declaration of Independence, despite the fact that her people are enslaved?" He says coolly toward the young woman.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I prefer my history to be the same way I've been reading it for the past 18 years. Thank you very much."

"Well this is interesting. It seems like you know more than you're letting on, hmmm? And What's this?" The masked man looks intently into her arms, and his eyes widen as he realizes that the book he needs to rule over everything is in her hands.

"I see. What you have in your hands explains everything now. England, and the other idiots surprised me. I didn't think they would find it, but they proved me wrong. And how nice of them to leave it in the hands of a young woman for me to easily retrieve. Thank you for holding onto the book for me. Now, if you would be so kind to give me what's rightfully mine, I will give you a good position in my empire." The masked man says to her as he holds out his hands for the book. Hope shakes her head multiple times at the masked man as she holds the book tighter.

"Forget it. There's no way you could bribe me enough to give this to you. And last time I heard, this book definitely doesn't belong to you."

"You're making a very big mistake refusing me what's rightfully mine."

"You're wrong. I would be making a big mistake by giving you this book. From what I've been told, this book belongs to one person and one person only. And I'm pretty damn sure that you're not it's rightful owner, no matter how much you tell yourself that, and everyone around you." Hope says defiantly and proudly as she narrows her eyes toward the masked man.

"Hmmm. Young, pretty, brave and determined. Those are the traits I like in a woman."

"Flattery won't get you anywhere with me, so stop wasting your time trying to butter me up. No matter what you try on me, I'm not giving you this book." The masked man sighs in disappointment at her resistance.

"I honestly don't want to hurt you, since you are a young woman, and an attractive woman at that."

"Thank you for the compliments, but the only way you're getting this book is by ripping it out of my cold, dead fingers."

"Don't tempt me, my dear. I could do that so quickly, you wouldn't even notice that you're dead. Now, I'll say it again. I want the book, and I want it in my hands. Give it to me. Now."

"Didn't your mother ever teach you that you can't always get what you want?"

"Look, you're toying with my patience here. I suggest you hand over the book, before something really horrible happens to you."

"Before you start commanding me to do things, could you at least tell me who you are, and what you plan on doing with it?" _Maybe I can stall him enough for America to find us and kick his ass._

"Since you asked so nicely, I will. I am The Phantom, and I'm going to rule the world with the help of that book that's in your dainty hands. With the power of that book, I can transport myself through time much more efficiently, and can use the passages that are written in it to change history into the way I desire."

"Wow. A take over the world plot. How original. Don't you think that idea's a tad bit overused?"

"Enough! I'm giving you one final offer. Give me the book, and I'll spare your life." _Okay, so the stalling plan failed. Time for plan b: Run like hell, and hope I find America along the way._

"If you want it that badly, then you better come get it!" Hope says as she turns around, picks up her skirt, and starts running back the way she came. The masked man growls in annoyance, as he flies after her.

"Hiya!" America screams as he punches the last pictonian look alike in the face, knocking him out cold. The unconscious pictonians slowly disappear from in front of him.

"Welp, that takes care of them. Now to find Hope, and get out of here." America says while wiping off his hands, satisfied by the results.

"Ahhhh!" America turns toward the direction of the scream, and his eyes widen as he slowly starts to recognize the feminine voice.

"Hope! Hold on! The hero's coming to save you!" America rushes toward the scream. Meanwhile, Hope is still running away while dodging dark energy balls being thrown at her by the Phantom as much as she can. She is looking at the energy balls behind her (instead of looking in front of her), and she accidentally trips and falls. She manages to hold onto the book despite her fall.

"Oh come on! Of all the times for a damn cliché to happen!" Hope says as she tries to quickly get up to dodge the next shadow ball coming at her. Lucky for her, someone else reaches to her in time before the ball hits, pushing them both out of the way. She lands with her back to the floor, looking up at her savior's gorgeous blue eyes. She is startled at first, but sighs in relief when she realizes that it's America.

"Hope! Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine. I managed to get Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence inside Independence Hall, the place where they're signing it, but I kinda ran into him on the way out. Thanks for the save by the way."

"Well, I did promised you that I wouldn't let anything happen to you, and I'm not going to break that now. Heroes never break their promises." America says as he gets up from the ground, and pulls Hope up as well.

"Now isn't that sweet. Am I interrupting a touching moment between the two of you?" The Phantom, formerly known as the Masked Man, lands on the ground a couple of feet away from them. America pushes Hope behind him, and stands in front of her protectively with a serious, determined look on his face.

"Just hand over the book, and I'll make your deaths quick and painless."

"Forget it! I said it once and I'll say it again. You'll have to pry it out of my cold, dead fingers if you want this."

"And there's no way I'm letting you go anywhere near her while I'm still around!"

"Fine. Your choice. Prepare to die!" The Phantom screams as he casts a very big and powerful dark energy ball toward the American duo.

"Hope, get out of here."

"What?"

"You heard me! I'll give you the cover you need to get back safe and sound with the book."

"You think I'm gonna ditch you just like that? We're in this together. Either we both come back, or neither of us do."

"Hope-"

"Don't you dare try to convince me otherwise. Nothing is going to change my mind. I came here with you, and there's no way in hell I'm leaving here without you."

"Well, isn't that touching. A citizen who is willing to go the extra mile to die for her country. Well good news: You both get to die together! Farewell! I fulfill your word, my dear, and take the book from your cold dead fingers!" The Phantom screams as he releases the dark energy ball.

"No!" Hope screams as she moves in front of America.

"Hope!" Suddenly, the book glows white. A white barrier appears, and surrounds America and Hope as the energy ball reaches them. The ball is disintegrated, causing The Phantom to gasp and widen his eyes in shock.

"Whoa. What's just happened?"

"I honestly don't know, America. But I rather not look a gift horse in the mouth at this moment."

"No! That's not possible! The book only does that if it's in the possession of the..."

"The Reader, right?"

"Who are you? And what do you want?"

"Since you told me yours, I think it's only fair to tell you mine. My name is Hope Marianne Boyd, and I'm The Reader. I'm going to fix all the damage you've done throughout history, and prevent you from making more damage. And after I'm done with that, I'm going to kick your sorry ass." Hope says as she smiles, walks a few feet in front of America, and put a hand on her hip.

"I see. I did not expect that idiot England to find another one, let alone a beautiful young woman to become The Reader. Join me, my dear, and we can rule all of the world. All I ask in return is for you to surrender to me."

"Like I said before, flattery and bribery won't do you any damn good. I'm not going to join you, no matter what you say, or what you do."

"That will change soon. You cannot deny the inevitable, my dear. It seems I lost the battle here, but I will not lose the war. You will be mine, make no mistake of that. One way or another, you will be mine."

"Is that a threat?"

"Think of it as a promise, my dear. Ta ta for now!" The Phantom is once again surrounded by a dark aura, and disappears. Hope takes a deep breath and sighs in relief. She cannot believe what she just did throughout the whole time.

"Wow. Did you see what just happened? That was freaking crazy! I never expected this to happen during my first time! Wow!" Hope freaks out as she takes in everything that's happened while they been here. Before America can say anything, the church bells start to ring, and voices are heard.

"The Declaration of Independence has been signed!"

"The Thirteen colonies are officially independent from Great Britain!"

"Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness!" Cheers erupt throughout the town of Philadelphia, and can be heard everywhere. Hope wraps her arms around herself and smiles. America scoops her up, and spins her around while she laughs like there's no tomorrow.

"Way to go Hope! You did it! You saved the Declaration of Independence, Me, and a part of World History! I told you we could do it!" He stops, and sets her down carefully onto the ground.

"You were right! You were right! But there was no way I could have done it alone. Thanks for coming along with me, America. I really couldn't have done it without you. You're a hero!"

"Usually I am, but today, the only hero I see here is you. You helped Thomas Jefferson sneak away so he could deliver the Declaration of Independence. You also told off that Phantom guy, and stalled him long enough for me to find you. That's some awesome heroism there."

"But if you hadn't distracted him with your clichéd, overused, heroic speech (America: Hey!), I would have never gotten the chance to get him out. You're a hero in my eyes."

"Thanks Hope. By the way, how did you get him to cooperate with you?"

"Easy. I told him I was your slave, and you ordered me to get him to where the declaration was supposed to be signed. There are benefits that come with being black, and I figured I could use slavery to my advantage."

"Sure is. That was some smart thinking girl."

"Thank you."

"Hey, do you know what made the book glow white, and protect us from that energy ball thingy?"

"Thingy? Seriously? How old are you, America? Eight?"

"Hey! I don't know what it's called!"

"Regardless, that doesn't give you an excuse to call it a thingy. But now that you mention it, I don't know what that was about. Maybe Britain might have an idea what that was."

"Yeah. By the way, are you okay? You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"

"Jeez, you keep asking me this! I'm fine! A little overwhelmed by everything, but I'll manage. Are you alright? You did have to fight those minions before you found me."

"Pffft. They were nothing the hero couldn't handle! But now that we're done here, can we go back now? I wanna get out of these ridiculous clothes, and get something to eat, like a hamburger."

"Same. This dress may be pretty, but it's not the slightest bit comfortable. And man can I go for a Double Quarter Pounder with a side of fries, and a chocolate milkshake right now."

"Dude! That's what I'm thinking about getting! And for what it's worth I think you look pretty in that dress." America says softly and sincerely, causing her to blush at his compliment.

"Thanks. You don't make that get up look half bad either." Now it is America's turn to blush at the compliment.

"How about we get some dinner after we have a chat with Iggy about the whole barrier and Phantom business?"

"Sounds like a plan. I'm sure they're probably worried sick about us, especially Britain. Present Day." Hopes says with a big smile on her face. She opens the book (which she's had in her hand the whole time throughout the whole ordeal). The book starts to glow yet again the same bright pink color, which starts to surround Hope and America. The light glows brighter and bigger every second. The light then dims and gets smaller as they travel back through time to present day.

* * *

World Conference Room: Present Day, 2012

In the Conference Room, where the World Conference is always held, a purple pinkish light glows and becomes bigger yet again. It reaches its peak as America and Hope are shown, wearing the same clothes they arrived to the 1700s with. In front of them is Britain, sitting on the chair, waiting anxiously. As soon as he see them, he stand up very quickly, knocking over the chair he was sitting on in the process.

"Hey Iggy! We're back!"

"Yes, I can see that for myself. So, how did it go?"

"Well, I can honestly say that it was an interesting experience. I met the writer of the Declaration of the Independence, and the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson! I almost fainted from the excitement! Do you know what people would have give to see him in flesh and bone?"

"Yes. Yes. I'm glad you got to meet a famous person,_ love_, but that's not what I meant. How did the mission go? "

"Mission was a success thanks to Hope and her quick thinking. You should have seen her! You would have been proud of her!"

"I didn't do that much. All I did was lead Mr. Jefferson and the Declaration away from the Phantom."

"The Phantom?"

"Oh yeah! That's the guy who's tampering with History! He knows about the book, and Hope being The Reader. He tried to get her to join his side, but she turned him down flat! He even tried to kill her with those dark energy balls!"

"I say, are you all right, _love_? Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine. America saved me before anything worse happened to me. He's my hero."

"Aw shucks. I'm just doing my job as the hero!"

"I'm glad you actually took this seriously, America. If only you can be that dedicated to your work."

"Not gonna happen, Iggy. By the way, the book glowed white, and protected us. Know anything about that?"

"What do you mean the book glowed white and protected you? The book is not supposed to do that."

"It isn't?"

"No. Only The Reader can do magic like that. If what you're telling me is true then..." Britain trails off as he and America slowly turns to Hope, and their eyes widen. Hope looks at both America and England, and raises her eyebrow.

"What? Why are you two looking at me like that? What's up?"

"You already discovered your magical abilities!"

"Wait what? All I did was stepped in front of America, so he wouldn't get hurt. Are you telling me that I can do magic too?"

"Well, The Reader does have some magical abilities. You are using a magical book, after all. The magic was bound to rub off on you sooner or later."

"Makes sense, but do I still need a weapon to defend myself? Or will I just use magic?"

"I will have to teach how to use your magic efficiently. We'll see how that goes, and if that doesn't go well, then we'll get you a weapon."

"Great. Thanks a lot Britain, America. I don't know how to repay you guys for all the kindness you've shown me so far."

"Think absolutely nothing of it, dudette! It's the least we can do for you!"

"I agree with the _git_. You're out there, risking your life to save us. You could have turned this down, and moved on with your life."

"It's like what you said. I would never turn away from anyone who needs help. Now, if you guys excuse me, I'm going to get out these clothes, take a shower, get some dinner and go to bed. I'm seriously hungry and tired after that whole ordeal."

"That's not a problem, _love_. Get some rest. You'll need it for tomorrow. We'll begin training at 10 A.M sharp!"

"Ten in the morning! I usually don't get up till eleven!"

"We need to get you prepared. It will be getting more difficult as you progress. We need to make sure you can defend and fight for yourself."

"Fine. So where am I sleeping? I can take the couch if it's too much trouble."

"Absolutely not! There is plenty of room for you! France's in the kitchen. Ask him, and he'll take you to your room. There's also clothes for you in there, so you don't have to worry about wearing the same clothes you came with."

"Thank you so much. He won't try to make any moves on me, will he?"

"Don't worry. France knows that there is a time and place for his little flirting. Plus, I told him I would turn him into a frog if he tried anything on you."

"What a relief. Thanks for looking out for me. Well, good night guys. See you in the morning." Hope says as she walks out of the Conference Room, leaving only America and Britain.

"So, how did she do?"

"For her first time, she did pretty well. She managed to get Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence from harm's way by telling him that she was my slave."

"I see. She used her historical surroundings to her advantage. She truly has what it takes to become The Reader."

"Yeah. I think she'll do just fine through all this. You did good, Iggy. You did a real good job finding her."

"Thank you, and stop calling me Iggy, you _git_! It's Britain, you fool! Let's just get some dinner, and then sleep. Training starts at exactly 10 A.M. And there's no way you're oversleeping tomorrow!"

"Awww fine. Tomorrow, I'll show everyone what the hero is made of!"

"Sure, whatever. Just remember, we're doing this to help Hope become a better fighter. You can show off by helping her defend and fight for herself in combat. Am I clear?"

"Aye aye captain!" America says as he salutes to Britain, causing him to shake his head at his stupidity.

"And America?"

"Yeah?"

"That outfit looks absolutely ridiculous on you."

"Hey! These clothes still look better than your tacky style of dress." America says as he runs away from Britain, knowing that he is going to be pissed at him for criticizing his style of dress...again.

"What did you say, you _wanker_? Come back here! Don't make burn your capitol down to the ground again!" Britain screams as he runs after America while waving his fist in the air (in a non fist pump fashion mind you.), and screaming British curses at him.

** MISSION COMPLETE!**

**Hope's Notes**

**The Villain:**

**-Name: The Phantom**

**-Wants to change history, so he could become Emperor of the world.**

**-Found out he wants the book, to help him achieve his goal.**

**-Likes specific type of woman: Pretty, young, brave, and determined.**

**-Abilities: Dark Magic, Levitation, Flying, Mind Control (?).**

**The Book:**

**-A powerful tool for The Reader.**

**-Gives the ability to travel throughout History.**

**-Contains all of the world's history inside.**

**-Gives magical abilities to The Reader for fighting and defense.**

**Your Partners, The Nations:**

**-America: Heroic; Cheerful; Energetic; Clueless; Can be serious and logical when necessary; Always keeps his promises; Deeply cares about his citizens; Loves Hamburgers.**

******-Britain: Loves Doctor Who; Hates to agree with France and America; Knowledgeable about the book, title, and the current situation.**

**-China: Loves Hello Kitty; Ends sentences with aru.**

**-France: Flirtatious.**

**-Germany: Stern.**

**-Italy: Cheerful, Energetic, Crybaby, makes Ve~ sounds when speaking.**

**-Italy (Romano): Italy's older brother; Hates Germany; Uses the word "bastard" a lot.**

**-Japan: Respectful; Uses chan when saying my name.**

**-Russia: Creepy; Ends sentences with da.**

**-Spain: Optimistic.**

**_Let me explain the things above this little note. This is of everything Hope (who is yours truly) has learned so far throughout this adventure. Now some of this stuff you guys already know, but for me (her I guess), this is like watching the series all over again, and learning things bit by bit. So, bare with me about this okay? If you guys don't like the idea of the list of observations, then I'll take it down. And damn, this is really turning into an RPG. Whoops, I didn't mean for it to go that way at all. I'll revise it again, if this isn't well received, or well liked like the other two chapters. Anyways, so that's Chapter 3 guys! So review, and until next time!_**

**_~Hopefaith2_**


	4. The Training Session From Hell

_**Hey guys! It's Hope again, bringing you another new chapter of "The Reader". If you're wondering why these chapters are coming out like every week it is because this is a really really easy story to write (Seriously). I'm actually a History major in life, and this basically a way for my to learn History for my classes. Also, I will not only be writing chapters about the missions Hope (I) have to go through, but we will go over some important events in History and the "Hetalia" universe. They'll be like little subplots in the story, because every story has subplots, am I right? This is the of many subplots in this story. Just take a guess at the other parts I'm going to cover as subplots. ;). ******__And before I let you guys go, and read this, I need to ask you guys a very important question: Does anyone have any suggestions at which events of History Hope (I) should go and fix due to the Phantom. I have a few ideas, but maybe I can get a lot more. So please write in your reviews which events in History you want to see in this story. It would mean a lot if you write down even one suggestion. And who knows? Maybe I'll use it! _Anyways, so here's chapter 4, so read, review, and enjoy!

**Subplot One: The Training Session From Hell!**

The Next Day; Present Day

It is 9 in the morning in the Hetalia World. The nations are awake and aware for the training session that is supposed to take place today. Germany, always being the early riser, woke up at 5 in the morning, and woke up the rest of the Axis to complete their usual training sessions they have every day. Japan is always alert and an early riser as well, so he got out and train easily. Italy, on the other hand is a handful, especially to wake up and train. Germany had to threaten him to take away his pasta for the whole day if he didn't get up and train with them. Needless to say, it worked very well. After training, Japan plays with his dog Pochi, eats salted salmon, and rice balls. Italy makes more pasta, and takes a couple of _siestas_ (naps in Italian). And Germany continues training for his benefit, and most likely for Hope's benefit also.

The Allies were all up as well, but for different reasons. Britain wanted to get a head start on the training session, so he could show everyone (especially America) how strong he can be. America is up to complete his usual training to stay in shape by doing a series of workouts (since he's paranoid about gaining weight). China is awake to feed his panda, and himself. France is enjoying the beautiful morning by gardening, or sunbathing naked, or both. And Russia is awake to eat his breakfast, get some vodka, and possibly torture the Baltic States (especially Latvia). In conclusion, every member of team Hetalia is up and about doing their own things.

Well…every member except the Reader herself. While everyone is starting the day in their own special way, Hope is doing what she always does in the morning: sleeping. She is sleeping comfortably in her purple colored bedroom (France somehow knew that purple was her favorite color), dreaming about winning the Mega Millions lottery, paying off her student loans, and buying a television channel and a sports team. The countries all agreed that she wouldn't be awakened until 9 because they all thought she earned it after completing her first mission successfully. However, her beauty sleep is about to come to an end. Germany is walking toward her room to wake up the Reader for her training session with them. The German slowly opens the door to see her sleeping with a smile on her face.

"_Mein Gott _(My god). Vhy in the vorld vould that stupid Brit make me vake her up? Vouldn't make more sense to get America or Italy to do it?" Germany says to himself softly. He sighs as he walks into her room slowly and puts his hand on her shoulder, and awkwardly shakes her to wake her up (all while blushing).

"Mmmm. What?"

"Rise and shine. It is time to vake up, Hope."

"No way. I don't have class till 3."

"Training starts in an hour. Nov, get up and get dressed."

"Bite me, you Nazi. I'm still tired. Wake me up an hour from now." Germany kneels on one knee as he looks at the sleeping young woman for a couple of seconds.

"I once killed a man in his sleep vith his ovn mustache and a grape."

"Annnnnnd I'm up." Hope says as she instantly sits up in her bed, while rubbing her eyes, and yawning. Germany stands up, pleased with himself and the results.

"_Guten Tag_, Hope. Glad to see you avake. I expect you to be dressed, and downstairs by 9:30 sharp."

"Fine, but what about breakfast?"

"Vhat about it?"

"You don't expect me to fight on an empty stomach, do you?"

"_Ja_. You vill eat after you finished training."

"And how long will that be?"

"Tvo, three hours the most."

"You're kidding, right?" Germany gives her the same stern, expressionless look on his face to show that he's not kidding.

"Fine, Sergeant Strict. I'll be ready by 9:30. Now, can you leave so I can change?"

"_Ja_. And I mean it. Do not make me come and find you." Germany says sternly as he walks out of her room. Hope sighs as she pulls the covers of her. She walks to her dresser, and picks out a dark pink tank top with black shorts, and walks into her bathroom.

9:25 A.M

Hope walks down the steps into the kitchen. She's wearing a dark pink tank top with thick straps, black shorts, and a pair of white and pink sneakers. Her hair is in a very short ponytail and her dark pink glasses are on her face. She looks around to see that there's no one in the kitchen, but she notices a plate full of pancakes on the table. Never being the one to resist delicious food lying around, she slowly walks toward the table, and look at them. Her mouth waters at the sight. She sniffs the delicious aroma, and sighs in happiness.

"Who would leave pancakes around like this? Oh well! It's not my place to ask. Now where's the syrup?"

"_Excusez-moi mademoiselle?_"

"Ahhh!" Hope screams as she turns around to see young man with violet eyes, two toned colored hair (light blond on top, with more of an orange shade on the bottom and tips), and a very long and curly curl on the top of his head. He's wearing a teal colored hoodie with green jeans, and is carrying an adorable white polar bear.

"_Je suis désolée _(I'm sorry)! I didn't mean to scare you! Are you alright?" Hope slows down her breathing as she calms down.

"I'm fine. I just didn't notice you till now. I'm sorry about that."

"It's alright. No one notices me."

"Well, that made me feel a tons more guilty."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel bad."

"It's alright. I'm guessing these pancakes belong to you, huh?" Hope says as she and Canada sit down on the seats at the table.

"Yes, but I have more if you would like some."

"That would be great. Thank you so much."

"Who are you?" The cute little polar bear in his arms ask him.

"I'm Canada. Your owner?"

"Oh. Who are you?" The polar bear looks at Hope. She smiles at the polar bear as she pets his head.

"I'm Hope. Nice to meet you and your owner. Now what's your name little guy?"

"I'm Kumajiro!"

"Awww! You are absolutely adorable!"

"You're _E__spérance_. Does that mean that you're the Reader?"

"Yeah. Wait, how do you know that I'm the Reader?

"America has said a lot about you to me."

"Now why in the world would he tell you that, of all things, to you?"

"Well, America's my brother, and he tells me everything."

"Wait a minute. America's your brother?"

"_Oui_."

"Seriously? Are you pulling my leg?"

'I'm very serious. We're brothers." Hope looks hard and long at the Canadian, and she slowly sees the resemblance.

"Now that you mention it, you two look very alike. Yet, your personalities are the total opposite from each other. But that's understandable."

"Do you have any siblings?"

"Just one. My 20 year old sister. We are the total opposite of each other. We're so different, but so alike too. So what exactly has America been saying about me?"

"Well, he's been saying-"

"Glad to see you made it on time, Hope." Canada and Hope are startled, and turn toward the door to see Germany standing near the doorway. He's wearing his usual teal colored army uniform.

"Yeah. I made it on time, and having a wonderful conversation with Canada. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about you, though." Hope says with a smirk on her face to the German.

"Since you're able to run your mouth so easily, I'm sure you're able to run around the field tvice as easily as vell."

"What the hell? I thought training started at 10!"

"It does, but Britain vanted me to make sure you vere varmed up before then. Now, you vill run around the field tvice."

"What?"

"Vile singing to help exercise your breathing. I don't care vhat song you sing, as long as it's appropriate."

"Oh come on!"

"Do I make myself clear?" Germany says cutting her off. She stands up from her chair and gives him a dirty look.

"Yes sir. I'll see you later, Canada. Bye Kumajiro."

"I'll save some pancakes for you, Hope. They'll be in the fridge when you get back."

"Thanks a mili, Canada." Hope says as she smiles at them, who waves at them. She walks out the door, and starts running to the field in the back.

9:45 A.M

America is currently concentrating on his ritual of doing one hundred one armed pushups in the field with each arm. He's currently on the left arm.

"70...71...72"

_"It took all the strength I had not to fall apart. Kept trying hard to mend the pieces of my broken heart."_

"Hmmm? Who the heck is that?" America ask himself as he stops doing his one arm pushups as he looks around for the source of the singing.

_"And I spent oh so many nights just feeling sorry for myself. I used to cry, but now I hold my head up high."_

'Wow. That sounds not bad."

_"Oh no, not I. I will survive. Oh as long as I know how to love, I know I'll stay alive. I've got all my life to live. I've got all my love to give, and I'll survive. I will survive. Hey hey!" _And as quickly as the random singing came, it disappeared into the woods.

"Maybe I'll find out who was singing it later. Back to exercising." America says as he continues where he left off in his workout.

9:57 A.M.

A couple of minutes later, Hope walks into the house, slightly out of breath. She goes straight toward the kitchen, hoping to find some pancakes.

"Man, I'm beat. Now to get some breakfast. I hope Canada did leave me some pancakes."

"Oh Hope! There you are,_ love_. I didn't think you would be done with your warm up so soon."

"Yeah. Thanks for that, by the way. Definitely how I wanted to start my day." Hope says sarcastically as she walks to the fridge.

"I can tell when you're using sarcasm. I know you didn't enjoy that, but it was only to get you ready."

"Couldn't I have just stretched and such?"

"You're going to do that too before I start teaching. Now come outside, _love_. Everyone's waiting for you, so there's no time to eat."

"Aww come on! I deserve to eat damn it! And why is everyone outside if I'm just learning how to use magic?"

"Because after you finish learning some spells, we're gonna see how well you fare against one of us." Britain says with a smirk on his face.

"You're totally kidding about the going up against you guys part, right? Right, Britain? Right?" Hope says hopefully (no pun intended), thinking it's a joke what Britain, and that he would admit that it is.

"I'll see you outside, _love_. And don't keep us waiting. America really wants to see what you're made of against him." Britain says as he leaves the house, and goes outside to join the other countries. Hope's jaw drops and her eyes widen at the fact that America, the country with superhuman strength, wants to face her.

"Britain? You never answered my question! Britain? Britain! Aw here it goes!" Hope screams as she runs outside after him.

10:00 A.M

It is now the moment of truth. Hope makes it to the field in the backyard. She sees all the members of the Axis and Allied Powers are either sitting at the tables, leaning against something, or standing, waiting patiently for her. She takes a deep breath and walks as if she has nothing to fear. All the main members of the Axis and Allies watch her intently as if they're waiting for her to back out or break down. Britain breaks the silence.

"Now, before we get started, do you have any health issues we should know about? Asthma? Allergies?"

"Nope. I don't have anything."

"Do you have any injuries that didn't heal very well, and may affect this training?"

"No."

"Do you have anything I didn't mention?"

"No."

"What sort of physical activity have you done?"

"I've danced for eleven years, and ran track for three."

"I see. Height and Weight."

"5 feet, four and a half inches. 127 pounds." _Why is that even relevant? To see if I'm fit or something?_

"Alright. Now, are you ready for this? We will not go easy on you because you are a lady,_ love_."

"I don't believe I ever asked you to."

"Good. Now magic is not a toy. It is a weapon that can hurt, and kill people like a gun, or a sword. It is not something to be taken lightly. Do you understand?"

"I understand."

"Let's start with unlocking you magical abilities. When you accidentally used a protection spell on you and America, what were you thinking?"

"I just wanted to protect him. I didn't want him to get hit by that shadow ball."

"I see. Now, close your eyes, and concentrate on releasing it. I'm going to fully release your magical abilities. I'm warning you now. This will hurt. Hold still, and don't move." Hope nods as she closes her eyes. Britain takes out his trusty spell book, puts his left hand on her head.

"_Santo Rita Mita Meada Ringo Jonah Tito Marlon Jack La Toya Janet Michael Dumbledora the Explorer_" _Is he serious about this whole spell thing? I'm pretty sure I heard names of some of the Jackson kids, and the Beatles. And did he say Dumbledore, and Dora the Explorer? What the-_

"You're not concentrating on releasing your magic."

"Oh. Sorry." Hope says as she ends her thoughts, and tries to concentrate once again on releasing her magical abilities.

_"Santo Rita Mita Meada Ringo Jonah Tito Marlon Jack La Toya Janet Michael Dumbledora the Explorer. Release what is hidden. Show what has been shadowed. I have summoned you from the depths of this soul. Show yourself!" _Britain screams as a green light surrounds the eighteen year old. It starts to send sparks all over her body, causing her to flinch and whimper in pain. The pain coming from the sparks start to intensify as they get brighter and bigger, causing her to flinch more, and her to whimper even more, louder this time. Tears start to form in the corners of her eyes. Her nails dig into her skin, causing blood to drip down them. The countries, even Japan and Germany look in total shock and worry for the girl. Russia has a creepy smile on his face, as if he's enjoying to see her in pain. A couple of agonizing minutes later, the sparks get smaller, and smaller, until they are no more. And the light show officially ends. Hope goes down on her knees panting and wheezing.

"How do you feel,_ love_?" Britain says as he kneels toward her.

"Kinda sick."

"That's normal. It will pass in a minute."

"But what about my hands?" Hope says as she looks at the bloodied hands. Britain carefully and softly takes her hands into his, holding the back part of her hands so they can see the cuts on her palms due to her nails.

"They will be part of your first lesson: Healing. Now on your first mission, you and America succeeded without a scratch. Bare in mind that you won't always be so lucky. There are times you or your partner will get injured during the missions. You will have the ability to help heal injuries for you, and your partner. Now, you can only heal injuries that people will survive. If it's fatal, then it's not worth it. If you try to heal fatal injuries, then you will overexert yourself. Also, you can't use the spell to try to bring people back from the dead. Am I clear?"

"Yes."

"Now I want you to close your eyes, and concentrate on healing your injuries. Once you do that, say Healina." Hope closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and concentrate.

"Healina." Her hands start to glow green as the injuries on them slowly heal. A few minutes later, the bleeding stops completely and her hands' cuts are completely sealed. The glowing stops, and she opens her eyes.

"Whoa." Hope says as she widens her eyes at the sight of her healed hands.

"Did I do that?" She says as she looks up at Britiain.

"Indeed you did, _love_. A very nice job I say."

"Wow. That was surprising easy."

"Now don't get cocky. You still have one offensive, and one defensive spell to learn before the real fun begins."

"Alright then. Teach me more."

"Good. First, I'll teach you a defensive spell. It's called Barria anun. This spell is supposed to create a barrier around and anyone around you. It helps protect you from any type of attack. But, I warn you now. Do not hold the barrier up longer than you can. You drain you strength and overexert yourself. We don't want that happening during a battle."

"Got it."

"Now you try. Just think of protection of you or someone else, and say the magic words."

"You make it sound so easy."

"It is, _love_. I'm sure you can do it on the first try. Go ahead." Hope takes a very deep breath, and closes her eyes again.

"Barria anun." Hope whispers to herself. Little did she know, that a small, faint, white barrier surrounds her. Most of the countries had to squint to see it, except for Britain (who knows it's there simply due to his ability to sense magic).

"Not bad. I want you to make it bigger and stronger. Concentrate on strengthening and expanding your barrier." Hope nods as she concentrates harder to try to make the barrier bigger and stronger. The barrier gets slightly bigger, and not anymore stronger.

"Hmmm. Alright, _love_. You can stop." Hope opens her eyes and the barrier disappear almost quickly and entirely. She takes a few minutes to rest and to catch her breath.

"Okay. I take back what I said about it being easy."

"You have the spell down very well. You're not concentrating hard enough, but don't worry, _love_. That will get better as we practiced some more. Now to the offensive spell. You know what fire is, right?"

"Duh. It's a state, process, or instance of combustion in which fuel or other material is ignited and combined with oxygen-"

"I didn't ask for a chemistry lesson, you _git_!"

"Then what the hell did you mean asking me what it is if you didn't want the damn definition?"

"I didn't want the definition you read in a dictionary, or a textbook. I wanted your own definition of fire. What fire means to you."

"Ummm I don't know. It's just always been there."

"Oh _come off it_! You're a smart girl. You were about to give me a whole chemistry lesson on fire. I just want a few simple words about what fire means to you."

"Well, it keeps people warm, I guess."

"Good. And what else?"

"I guess comforting at times."

"And?"

"Light. It gives off light to see what's around us, and sometimes, what's in front of us."

"That's what I wanted to hear. Do you know why I asked you what fire means to you."

"So I could channel my feelings toward fire as I cast the spell?"

"_By jove_! I think she's learning! You already explained to yourself what you have to do. Just say the world "Flara", and you'll be able to use it. Okay?"

"Sure." Hope rubs her hands together to get some warmth through her hands. She notices that her hands started to spark for a few seconds. _If I just created a small spark from rubbing my hands, I wonder..._

"Flara!" Hopes says as she quickly rubs her hands together in one quick motion. Her hands are covered with orange flames instantly. Her eyes widen at the fact that her idea actually worked.

"Why did I have a feeling you would manage to cast that successfully?"

"Because I'm hot and dangerous. Obviously." Hope says in a teasing manner while slowly swaying her hips playfully.

"Sure you are."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Let's not get off topic. There's something you should know about that spell. You're not making fire out of nothing. You're igniting the oxygen around you with your own body heat. If you keep using that multiple times, or for a very long time, your body temperature will drop due to the loss of heat. Also, don't cast this spell when you're in a small area. You'll burn up all the oxygen around you, and you'll suffocate. I don't want you to die of hypothermia, or suffocation because you was careless with this spell."

"Understood Britain sir. So how do I make the flames on my hands stop?"

"Just shake them off." Hope shakes her hands multiple times, and the flames die until they are nothing.

"Ohhhh. Cool. Anything else you wanna teach me?"

"No. I'm sure that will do for now. Just keep practicing your spells, especially the defensive one. If you ever need to practice, just come back here before and after missions. Alright, _love_?"

"Cool. Now can I eat? All this magic using is really making me hungry."

"We're almost done. Now it's time to see how well you fare against one of us."

"You were serious about that?"

"Of course I was, you _git_! The enemy will be as strong as us, perhaps even stronger, and we need to know if you can handle something that strong. So to find that out, you'll have to face one of us. If you win, you get to eat."

"And if I lose?"

"You'll have to wait until supper."

"And when's that?"

"8 o' clock."

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Language young lady! And I am not kidding, missy. This is your chance to show us that you are not a damsel in distress."

"I already know I'm not. I don't have to prove that to any of you. I can handle myself quite well."

"Then prove it, by going against America in a fight."

"Dude, seriously? Aw yeah! This is gonna be awesome! Now's my chance to show you guys what the hero is made of!" Hope narrows her eyes at the British country.

"Fine. You're on. I'm only doing this for the food. I couldn't give a damn about your thoughts about me being a damsel in distress."

"I know, _love_. Alright, now America and Hope will fight until one of you don't get back up. The one that's still standing wins. There are no rules. You can use whatever you want against your opponent. Agreed?"

"Heck yeah!"

"Whateva."

"Good. Now begin!" America runs toward her at a very quick speed, and tries to punch her. Hope barely manages to see him coming, and his punch, and dodges it. America keeps trying to punch her in the face, but she keeps dodging as quick and hard as they can. The last one she accidentally trips over her untied shoelaces and falls onto the ground, unintentionally dodging another one of America's punches.

"Hope_-san_ is quite good when it comes to dodging. She's very gracefur when she dodges. It's rike she's dancing." Japan states in a matter of fact tone to Britain as they watch the fight.

"Yes. She did say she danced for more than a decade, so it's quite possible that she's using that to her advantage. That will do well for her when she's fighting." Britain says in a know it all tone while watching Hope quickly get up and dodges one of America's punches by spinning gracefully.

"_Hai_."

"Oh come one Hope *swing*! Let me *swing* hit you! Just once *swing*!"

"Have you *dodge* lost your *dodge* freaking mind *dodge*?"

"Who do you think win? Hope or America, _aru_?"

"I honestly don't care who wins. I just want to see some American blood being spilled on the ground, and someone screaming and crying in pain." Russia says with a smile on his face. China's face pales, and he slowly moves away from Russia.

"Well *swing* you're not *swing* even trying *swing* to cast a spell *swing* on me!"

"Well you *dodge* know I couldn't *dodge* possibly cast one *dodge* with you*dodge* swinging all over!"

"Well that *swing* doesn't sound very *swing* heroic. When I *swing* stop, I'll be *swing* heroic and fair, *swing* and let you cast one."

"Wow. Thanks. *dodge*That's really *dodge* heroic and kind*dodge* of you to *dodge* do that for *dodge*me."

"It's no problem. Okay, I stopped. Now are you gonna cast a spell on me?" America asks as he stops punching her. Hope smirks at him as she finally gets to stop dodging, and has an awesome plan in mind.

"Yup. Abracadabra!" Hope says as she kicks him right in his liberty bell. America's eyes widen as he grabs them in pains as he slowly falls onto the ground, screaming and whining in pain. The other countries widen their eyes, and drop their jaws (except Russia, who was smiling and laughing seeing the American man in pain).

"What the hell, Hope? That wasn't a spell Iggy taught you (Britain: My name isn't Iggy, you _twit_!)!"

"I know. It's one of my own specialties. I believe it's called using your opponent's weakness to your advantage spell. You're a man who has a giant ego, and a hero complex. You love playing fair, so I had to beg to you like a weakling. When you decided to let your guard down, I used it to my advantage. I can't believe you actually bought that act. I must be a better actress than I thought. By the way, that was for the student loans I'll have to pay back when I graduate. Be glad I didn't do it again." Hope says as she smirks with a hand on her hip. She turns toward Britain (who has a shocked look on his face obviously), and walks toward him.

"You said I could use whatever I want. And since it's pretty obvious that he's not getting up, that means I win. Anything else for me to do?" Britain shakes his head, being completely silent.

"Good! Now, I'm going to get some of Canada's amazing pancakes because I fucking deserve them. See you guys inside!" Hope says as she puts a smile on her face, and walks inside like nothing happened. She stops and turns around toward America.

"Oh! And America?" America looks up at her tearfully, still in pain from being kicked.

"You might wanna put some ice down there, but I can always heal you with my recently learned healing spell." Hope says teasingly as she giggles and walks inside. America blushes a deep red as he slowly starts to get what she meant.

"That was fun to watch, _Дa_?"

"Germany. _Speranza_ _bella _is really scary when she's mad. _Ve~_" Italy says to Germany as he hides behind him as the Reader passes by them.

"_Ja_. She is strong, and clever. I vill give her that."

"_Hai_. Hope_-san_ brought America_-san_ to his knees. Ritellarry."

"She used his hero complex, and his crown jewels to her advantage. _By jove_, that was well, crazy."

"She is _une beauté mortelle_(a deadly beauty),_ non_?"

"_Si. Esperanza _is full of surprises."

"Indeed,_ aru._ I wonder what other surprises she has in store for us, _aru_."

"We just have to wait and see. Now, why don't we get some breakfast? I have a feeling Hope will not share any of the pancakes that are left. I'll cook!" Britain says happily, causing the other nations to make gagging noises and holding their stomachs.

"I rather take my chances with Hope_-san_."

"Same,_ aru." _The nations leave to go inside, except for Britain, who is shocked and insulted by their decision to take on Hope, and America, who's still on the floor, in pain.

"I'll have you all know that my cooking is indeed great! You all just have horrible taste!" Britain says as he runs after them angrily. And all the nations forgot about the American that is still on the ground, in pain.

"Guys? Someone? Anyone? Help?" America screams weakly, hoping someone will hear him. Unfortunately, he will have to stay there for just a while longer.

A couple of hours later: 5 P.M.

"Hey guys? Where's America? I haven't heard or seen him all day. You did bring him in after I went inside, right?" The Allies and Axis all look at each other, and their eyes widen as the same word came into their thoughts, and out of their mouths in different languages.

"Shit."

**First Training Session: Success!**

**Spells:**

**Healina**

**Type: Recovery.**

**Ability: Allows the Reader to heal any injury on herself, and her partners.**

**Warning: Cannot heal fatal wounds. Attempting to heal fatal injuries will result in exertion. Cannot bring back the dead.**

**Barria anun**

**Type: Defensive.**

**Ability: Allows the Reader to protect herself and her partners by creating a protective barrier around them.**

**Warning: Holding barrier for longer than able to can result in loss and strength and exertion.**

**Flara**

**Type: Offensive.**

**Ability: Allows the Reader to create fire at will using her own body heat and the oxygen in the air.**

**Warning: Body temperature will drop due to the loss of heat if used too much, or too long, causing hypothermia. Used in a small area can result in suffocation.**

**_And that is chapter 4 ladies and gents! Hope you guys enjoyed it! And before I forget, HAPPY EARTH DAY! So until next time!_  
**

**_~Hopefaith2_**


	5. God Save The Queen!

_**Hey guys! So, I got a reason why it took me so long to update. First, I had to write a six paged argumentative paper on Hua Mulan, and yes I was allowed to use the Disney movie as an example, and yes I damn well did. lol. Secondly, I'm studying for finals all till Monday. Fortunately, I have a day off from Finals (which is Thursday, or today), so I decided to get this out of the way. Tomorrow, I have two history finals, but I'm not too worried about that since I'm a History major, and History is my forte. So I don't anything except the characters Hope and The Phantom. So read and review, and I give you all chapter 5. Enjoy!**_

**Mission Two: God Save The Queen! Team Up With Britain, And Become His Apprentice!**

Living Room: Present Day, 2012

It was only two days after the training session that resulted in America getting kicked in his liberty bells, and left out there for about 5 hours. Luckily, he didn't suffer from hypothermia, or any other sickness. The Reader finally did get the chance to apologize (profusely may I add) to him. Having the type of personality he has, America laughed it off, and easily forgave her with a smile on his face. In his words, he praised her for having the ability to kick really hard. It is currently noon. Hope is sitting on a couch in the living room, scrolling through her news feed on her Facebook, and listening to music on her iTunes on her laptop. France was in the room with her earlier, but when he saw her using laptop, he left with such haste. She wonders why he left so quickly. She is currently jamming to a playlist consisting of Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Kanye West, and other artists. At the moment, she's listening to "Fool For You" by Cee Lo Green and Melanie Fiona. She's swaying her body back and forth at the enjoyment of the song while surfing the web. She's so wrapped in the music that she doesn't notice anything going around her.

"Hope, _love_, are you ready to go?" Britain says as he peeks his head out of the room only to get no response, due to the music being so loud. England stares at the eighteen year old dancing into the music. He sweat drops at the woman's obliviousness to the world. He walks toward the girl, and snatches one of the headphones out of her ears, getting her attention.

"Hey! I was listening to that! What was that for?"

"First off, I was saving your hearing from becoming deaf. Secondly, It's time to go save my history. Lastly, I was saving you from that ridiculous nonsense you call music. Seriously, what kind of American mess was you listening to?"

"Excuse me. I was listening to Cee Lo Green and Melanie Fiona. They're amazing! And have you heard the solo work? I am absolutely in love with their songs!"

"With an name like Cee Lo Green, I bet his music is stupid as the rest of your so called "artists"."

"Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. First off, he was in Gnarls Barkley, and their song "Crazy" was hot, and he sang the song "Forget You". He is music is very much different than the rest."

"Yes. I've heard of that song. It went Platinum, for some reason I'll never understand. And this Melanie Fiona woman?"

"Melanie Fiona is an artist who made amazing songs like "It Kills Me", "Gone And Never Coming Back", and "You Stop My Heart". Here, listen to this song. I swear you won't regret it."

"And why is that?"

"Because this is not mainstream music you hear on every radio station. This is the R&B music you hear once in a blue moon on the radio, usually at night when everyone's asleep. Okay, how about this: If you hear the entire song, I'll go with you to wherever you want to go in your history."

"Really?"

"Really. I'll take you anywhere you want to go in your past. I promise."

"Alright. Unplug the headphones. Let's have a listen to." Britain says as he crosses his arm, and leans against the wall. Hope smirks as she unplugs her headphones, and plays the song. The songs plays and Hope sees Britain tapping his foot to the beat, and a smile perhaps. When Melanie Fiona's part come on, he is startled by her voice.

"I say she has a lovely voice."

"Yeah. I saw her in concert. She was awesome. By the way, she's from Canada. I have other songs of her we can listen to."

"I'm afraid that will have to wait, _love_. We must stop The Phantom at all cost before he tries something else. Come on."

"Alright. Let me just put my laptop away."

"How did you bring your electronics here? You didn't have them when you arrived."

"I discovered I could use the book to go back to my dorm and get whatever I needed. And the weird thing is, it was only a few minutes that passed instead of three days. Is time faster here?"

"Actually, time over in your world is much faster than ours, but with the tampering, time is slowing down due to it. Basically, you have more time to fix it."

"Oh. I'll be right back." Hope says as she goes up the stairs into her room. Britain walks to the mirror, and starts fixing himself while humming the song he was listening to.

"Guess you like my music, huh Britain?" Britain is startled by the sudden voice. He turns around to see no other than the cocky America, leaning against the wall.

"What you do you want, you _git_? You scared the _bloody hell_ out of me."

"Sorry about that. You're just getting old!"

"Is that the reason why you're here? To tease me about my age?"

"Actually, no. I couldn't help but notice you enjoying my music brought to you by Hope. Not a bad choice, either. A mixture of both my brother and me."

"I was enjoying the song because of the artist that came from your brother. Your artist was just annoying."

"Hey! Cee Lo Green is awesome!"

"That is a matter of opinion."

"Kay. I'm ready. Hey America. How are you holding up from the session?" Hope says as she comes down the stairs with book in hand. She's wearing a plain white T-shirt, blue jeans, and her black boots. Her brown hair is in a ponytail, and she's wearing her contacts instead of her glasses.

"Hey Hope! And I'm just fine. Thanks for asking." America says as he blushes and looks away. He's still somewhat embarrassed about the events that happened days before.

"That's good. Well, Britain and I are going to a time period in his history, so we'll be back in a while. Okay?"

"Sure. No problem. Just be careful you two, okay?"

"We'll be fine, you _git_. You forget that I was ruling the world before you came along."

"And I can do magic spells. Plus, fight, and spray people with my mace!" Hope says cheerfully, causing both countries to look at her with wide eyes and gaping mouths in shock and confusion.

"You have mace? Seriously?" America asks in complete shock.

"Yeah."

"And where in the world did you get a bottle of mace from, _love_? And why in the world would you have it in the first place?"

"Back in my dorm. My dad gave me some just in case I ever needed it. So, where do you want to go? The Magna Carta? The Hundred Years War? The introduction of The Beatles? What?"

"You really did you research, didn't you _love_?"

"I am the Reader, so it's necessary for me to have basic knowledge of each country's history. I figured I should brush up on my old history lessons before I go on each mission. Which is why I brought my laptop, my iPhone, and my history textbooks back with me. If I'm gonna save the history of the world, then I gonna be accurate doing it. So where to?"

"England. January 13th, 1559."

"Gotcha. See you later, America!"

"Kick some major ass while you're gone!"

"Got it. England-"

"Oh _honhonhon_! What 'ave we 'ere? You are going zrough stuffy Britain's 'istory? Why not go zrough mine? Mine is way more exciting zan ze 'istory of ze black sheep of Europe." France as he appears out of nowhere in front of the three of them before Hope and England get the chance to leave.

"What was that frog?"

"Ah_ Angleterre_. Are you getting so old zat you cannot 'ear as well as you used to? I said black sheep of Europe! Black sheep of Europe!"

"I told you not to call me that, frog! At least my history didn't go down hill when one guy was defeated!"

"At least I didn't get my ass whooped by a developing country!"

"I kicked your ass in The French and Indian War! Don't make me kick it again!"

"Bring it on! I doubt you still 'ave ze skills you 'ad a back zen! Since ze only zings you still 'ave now is your tacky hairstyle and outfit!"

"Consider it brought, fancy pants!" Britain screams as they get into another fist fight. America and Hope stand there, watching them beat the living crap out of each other. America just laughs at the scene going down. Hope just looks in utter shock at how fast they start fighting, and sweat drops at how childish they're acting.

"How long do they usually do this for?"

"Usually about an hour or two. They tire themselves out at the end."

"Look, I really don't have an hour. I'm trying to defeat the Phantom and save the worlds from total and utter destruction and such. Think you can break them up?"

"Nope." Hope face palms at her answer._ Great. Now how am I supposed to get them focus on the task at hand? I think I got it. _She clears her throat, and takes a deep breath.

"BREAK IT UP!" France and Britain stop fighting and look at Hope, whose face is all red and is breathing heavily. Even America is kinda scared at the young woman, moving a few feet away from her. She takes a few minutes to catch her breath, and calms herself down before speaking again.

"How in the hell can you two be fighting at a time like this? Do you realize how horrible our situation is? Do you know how catastrophic this will be if we let the Phantom win! Huh? Huh?"

"Hope, _love_-"

"Don't interrupt me, bushy brows! Do you realize that this may possibly be the last time you may fight and argue with each other so long as that lunatic is running around, tampering with history? Shoot, he's probably tampering with Britain's history as we speak! And what are we doing in response to that? Fighting back? No! We're not doing anything because I have to lecture you two about how constantly figh like you're freaking children!"

"But _mademoiselle_-"

"Save it pansy! I don't want to hear what either of you have to say! Now, I want you two to apologize to each other for the time wasted due to your arguing and the fighting. After that, Britain and I will go stop the Phantom from tampering with history. And if you guys don't apologize and make up by the count of three, I will force the both of you to spend the whole day with Russia, being his slaves. Am I clear?"

"Hope! That is cruel and unusual punishment!"

"_Oui_! I agree with _Angleterre_!"

"One." Hope says as she crosses her arms and leans against the wall, looking very serious. Neither country move from their spots, thinking she's bluffing.

"Two." The countries start to get nervous, and realize that she is serious about the punishment.

"Two and a half. America, could you be a dear and get Russia for me?" Britain and France and look at each other, and slowly make their ways toward each other.

"I'm sorry France for picking a fight, and the name calling."

"_Oui_. I am sorry too." France says as the countries shake hands with each other. Hope takes a deep breath and smiles at the scene in front of her. America looks at her with a mixture of fear and shock.

"Wow Hope. I didn't think you had it in you."

"Well, someone had to set them straight. I just can't believe that I had to discipline countries that have been around for about a millennium like they were children! You think they would act more like adults. I know they have bad blood between them since forever, but can't they at least handle it in a more adult like manner?"

"Yeah. They should be acting more like adults, and setting an example for the younger countries."

"Excuse me, but you are the last person that should be talking about acting their age, America! You are the most childish country I have ever met! And I_ bloody_ raised you!"

"Zat would explain a lot."

"And what is that supposed to mean, you _bloody_ frog?"

"I think what France is trying to say is that young children are very impressionable. Most of the things children do as an adult learned it from someone or something. Perhaps he picked up his childish attitude from you. I'm just saying."

"_Oui_. Ze _mademoiselle_ iz right."

"And where did you learn something like that from, _love_?"

"It's something I read in one of my parents' old child/adolescence psychology books they still have from college. Now, can we please go now? I wanna get this done ASAP!"

"Alright,_ love_. Don't get your knickers in a bunch. Do you have everything you need?"

"Yeah. Now, let's get this show on the road. England. January 13th, 1559." Hope says as she opens the book once more. The book starts to glow yet again the same bright pink color. The light surrounds Hope and Britain. The light glows brighter and bigger every second. The light then dims and gets smaller as they disappear from the sight of France and America.

* * *

Hatfield (Hertfordshire) England: January 13th, 1559

In the dull, gray colored skies of the United Kingdom, a small pinkish purple starts to glows in an alley. The light grows bigger and bigger as well as brighter as two people slowly comes into view. The light fades, then disappears. Britain is wearing a dark blue tunic, with a matching cape and feathered hat, along with black tights and black boots. A belt is on his waist and a sword resides of the right of him. Hope is wearing a simple blue silk dress with a white bodice designed with patterns, and long sleeves that are also white. Her hair is out and straight, with a Tudor styled headdress of the same color as her dress. Hope and Britain look around their surroundings to see the streets of the United Kingdom unusually empty.

"That's weird. The streets should be very busy, especially around this time."

"How come?" Hope turns toward Britain and asks. As soon as she sees his outfit, she starts to laugh uncontrollably at it.

"What's so funny, _love_?"

"Your outfit! It's so ridiculous, it's hilarious! The hat and cape is a great touch! No wonder why France is always on your case about your clothes!" She laughs hysterically as doubles over while her face turns red, and tears stream down her cheeks.

"Excuse me! This is how we dressed in our time! Show some respect missy!" Hope finally settles down, getting the last of her laughter out before stopping completely.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to laugh. It was just so funny at first glance. Okay. I'm good. And in all seriousness, you look great in that. I can't see France pull off something like that."

"Really?"

"Honestly. France would make it look really feminine. So, where exactly are we?"

"Well, you're the Reader, so you should know. I requested to go to England in 1559. Now what period of time is that?"

"1559. Wait a minute. OH MY GOD WE'RE IN TUDOR ENGLAND! I can't believe it! I always wanted to go to Tudor England!" Hope says as she screams and jumps excitedly.

"You just don't know how much I love the Tudor Period. It's one of my favorite periods in time!" Hope says as she goes on and on about how she loves the Tudor Period. Britain can't help but smile widely at the woman's excitement. _The Tudor Period is one of her favorites, hmm? I made a good choice coming here! Take that frog! _

"So, can I meet King Henry VIII?"

"No. He died in 1547."

"Catherine of Aragon?"

"Died in 1536."

"Anne Boleyn?"

"Executed the same year."

"Jane Seymour?"

"Died in Childbirth in 1537."

"Anne of Cleves?"

"Died in 1557."

"Oh come on! Catherine Howard?"

"Executed in 1542."

"Just like her cousin. Okay fine. Can we at least see Catherine Parr?"

"Sorry. She died in 1547."

"Well that's just freaking perfect. What's the damn point of bringing me here if everyone I wanted to meet is dead! So who is it you wanted to see?" Hope says in disappointment of not meeting anyone she really wanted to meet.

"Well, none other than Elizabeth. I have a very strong feeling that he would try and kill her before she made any decrees. Which is why we're here before she becomes queen." Hope jumps at the familiar name.

"I'm sorry. Did you say Elizabeth? As in Queen Elizabeth I?"

"Yes, _love_."

"As in the daughter of Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII?"

"Yes, _love_."

"As in the queen who reigned for 44 years, and basically changed the history of the world forever?"

"How many _bloody_ questions do you have to ask me before you get it through your head? Yes! That Elizabeth! Elizabeth I! Anne Boleyn's daughter!"

"Well why the hell didn't you say so? I love Queen Elizabeth I! She is the number one person I wanted to meet since I was a little girl! I actually get to meet the Queen Elizabeth! THE Queen Elizabeth! Oh my gosh! This is so amazing!"

"Now calm down,_ love_. I know you're excited, but you cannot go into court all willy nilly. This is Tudor England, where women are told what to do and have no freedom, or rights of their own. You are a young lady, therefore you must act like one. You will curtsy to everyone of equal or higher status, especially the Queen. You will speak only when you are spoken to. If the Queen, or I ask you to do something, you will do it immediately. You must always be considerate, and well mannered, not to mention graceful, and lovely. You are a lady of court the moment you step into that building. Understood?"

"Got it. Anything else?"

"Yes. Don't speak your American slang. You must speak proper English at all times. Only speak it when you're with me and only me. And we're going to have to change your last name."

"Why?"

"Boyd is a Scottish last name, and the Queen is currently fighting with her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots. If you told her your last name, you would be sent to the Tower, and executed for treason."

"Right. I totally forgot about that. So I'll use my mom's maiden name instead?"

"It depends. What is it?"

"Richardson." Britain's eyes widen at the last name. _Her mother's maiden name is actually British. That means she's actually part British, and Scottish._

"You're British!"

"Uh yeah. I guess. I never really thought of it that way. So I'm British and Scottish. What a weird combination."

"I say, but you are American. It shouldn't be that weird for you."

"You make a good point."

"Now let's get inside." Hope is about to start walking, but it stopped by Britain.

"It is improper for a lady to walk alone. A lady, especially a lady at court, is always escorted by a man, so stick by my side at all times. If anyone ask, you are my apprentice. Your family died during an epidemic of the sweating sickness. I saw promise in you, so I took you in."

"Right."

"When I stick out my arm to you, you will curtsy and take it. Like so." Britain holds out his hand for her to take. She does the best curtsy she can, and takes his hand (while blushing). They walk gracefully into the castle.

* * *

Meanwhile in Present Day...

It's only been two hours since Hope and Britain left. America is currently pacing around the same spot Hope and Britain were in before they warped. France is walking with a glass of wine in his hand, but stops when he sees America pacing around. He shakes his head and walks toward him. He stops, and leans against the wall while drinking his glass.

"_Bonjour Amérique._"

"Yeah bonjour to you too France."

"Is somezing wrong? You look worried." America stops, and puts on a heroic face and pose for France.

"Me? No way! Heroes never get worried!" France isn't buying the act, and immediately knows what's wrong.

"You are worried about zem, _non_?"

"A little. They're gonna have a hard time there. I just know it!"

"Zat is where you are wrong, _mon ami _(my friend)."

"Huh? Why?"

"Back in ze day,_ Angleterre_ was a very dangerous opponent. 'e was a pirate, and one of ze most powerful in ze world. Britain can easily take whatever zis _Fantôme_ zrows at 'im. And 'ave you noticed ze similarities between _Espérance_ and _Angleterre_?"

"Not really."

"I figured you didn't. I'll tell you. Ze _mademoiselle_ is cynical, sharp tongued, and very stubborn like _Angleterre_. If I didn't know any better, I would say zat our dear _E__spérance_ might be part British. Zere is only one way to find out."

"And that is?"

"By getting 'er drunk and see if she acts like 'im when 'e's drunk. Oh_ honhonhonhon_."

"No way! She's nowhere near the legal age to drink!"

"To you, she isn't. She only 'as to be _dix-huit_ (eighteen) to me, and I know for a fact zat she is."

"I'm telling you right now, France. I don't care if she is British, Spanish, French, or even Russian. She is still my citizen, no matter what, and I will not let anything happen to her. If I hear or see her and anything alcohol related, I will come at you, and not show you any mercy. Understand?" America says in a menacing voice to the Frenchman. He waves him away, but is slightly afraid of the American.

"Relax _Amérique_. I am not going to intoxicate our dear _lecteur _(reader). She is way too important for our cause. And_ Angleterre_ 'ad already zreaten to turn me into a frog if I tried anything on ze _mademoiselle_. I value my beautiful self too much to be turned into one."

"Oh. Good. Keep it that way."

"Oh _honhonhon_. What is zis? Is _Amérique_ starting to 'ave feelings for our dear_ Espérance_?"

"No way dude! She's my citizen! I'm the hero, so I have to look after her!"

"_Oui_. Zat may be true, but you forget _mon ami _zat _ Espérance_ is an adult. She is quite capable of looking after 'erself."

"I know, but after 9/11..." America trails off, not wanting to remember that horrible day in his life. He takes a deep breath, and continues his train of thought.

"I just can't help but worry about her even more. Especially when she's going off facing the Phantom and whatever he plans for her."

"I understand what you are trying to say _mon ami_. 'owever, you should 'ave more faith in 'er. If she is your citizen, zen she is strong and brave as ze man who represents 'er country." France says comfortingly as he puts a hand on his shoulder.

"You mean that?"

"_Bien sûr _(of course)! And you said 'ow she did a great job zere with you, _non_? Zen she will give zis _Fantôme_ a run for 'is money."

"You're right. Thanks for cheering me up France. You won't tell anyone about this right?"

"It is no problem. Your secret is safe with me, _mon ami_."

"Thanks. Hey! You wanna invade Britain's room and read his diary?"

"_Angleterre_ 'as a diary?"

"Yeah! I saw him write in it all the time when I was a kid! Come on!" America says as he runs upstairs. France thinks about it for a minute, then gets a devilish smirk on his face, and laughs as he walks up the stairs toward England's room.

* * *

Hatfield House

"Will you stop shaking? It is very unladylike to show fear and nervousness."

"I can't help it! I'm meeting the Queen of England! This isn't an everyday occurrence for me, you know."

"Quiet down, you _git!_ She's not queen yet!"

"Right. Sorry. So curtsy before or after you introduce me to her?"

"Both. Now remember, you are my apprentice. You are the only surviving member of your family. They were wiped out by the sweating sickness eight years ago."

"Got it." The doors open in front of them, and all eyes are on them. Hope takes a deep breath, and Britain gives her hand a reassuring squeeze. In front of them is the soon to be Queen Elizabeth. The queen to be is 25 years old, with her famous red hair straight on her back. She is wearing a cream colored gown with many patterns on it. A small tiara rests on her head. Britain and Hope walk toward the queen to be. Britain lets go of her hand to bow, while Hope curtsies at the queen to be.

"Good afternoon, England. I see you look well today."

"Thank you. You look lovely as well, Elizabeth. Lovely like your mother."

"Thank you. And who is this young lady that accompanies you? You never brought a woman to court before. Are you finally taking a bride, England?"

"No, Elizabeth. I am not taking a bride anytime soon. May I introduce you to a dear friend of mine. My apprentice, Hope Marianne Richardson." Britain says as he steps out of the way for Hope to move closer. She walks with a smile on her face, and curtsies again.

"A pleasure to meet you, Lady Richardson."

"It is a honor to be in your presence, your majesty. I have heard so much about you." Hope says as she straightens up from her curtsy.

"Oh? And what have you heard about me, Lady Richardson?"

"Good things I assure you, your majesty. Master England has spoke nothing but praise about you."

"Yes. England does like to exaggerate about things."

"I do not believe he exaggerated about you at all. In fact, I believe he belittled you, so I could truly see how stunning you are." Elizabeth laughs at Hope's humor, causing her to smile.

"Well thank you for being honest with me Lady Richardson. How did you become his apprentice?"

"Unfortunately, my family all died due to the sweating sickness when I was a young child. Master England had found me, and took me in. I became his apprentice ever since, your majesty."

"My condolences, Lady Richardson. I know how it feels to lose your family as well at a young age."

"They are in God's hands now, and I could not be anymore happy for them. For I know I will see them again God calls me home."

"A very wise thing to say, Lady Richardson. And how old are my dear?"

"Eighteen, your majesty."

"And no husband? How odd."

"I would like to learn everything I can from Master England before I do get married. That is why I do not have one. I assure you, Master England will find me a husband possibly the next year, your majesty."

"Good. I can already tell you would make a fine wife to any gentleman England choose for you. You seem to have a good head on your shoulders."

"Thank you, your majesty. Master England has been an amazing teacher to me. If anything, Master England should receive the praise, not me."

"A modest young woman! We don't see many ladies like that here. England, you could not have chosen a better apprentice than Lady Richardson. Now, you will both be at my coronation tomorrow?"

"Of course, Elizabeth. We wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Good! I'll have your rooms prepared, but for now, let us dine." Elizabeth says as she gets up from her chair, and walks out of the room. Everyone she passes curtsies before her, including Hope and Britain. The rest of the court follows her, except for Britain and Hope. They stay behind to chat.

"Nice job,_ love_. I especially liked the parts of God's hands, and the belitting. Very creative."

"Thanks. It surprising wasn't that nerve wracking as I thought it would be. And she is surprisingly really nice. She even complimented me too!"

"Yes, _love_. Now let's go to dinner, but don't forget why we're here. We need keep an eye out for the Phantom. He could be anywhere."

"Definitely. There is no way he's going to kill one of my biggest idols." Hope says as she takes England's hand again, and they walk out of the room.

Later that night...

Britain is sleeping comfortably in his bedroom, dreaming about fairies, and elves, and everything fantasy related. A frantic knock is heard on his door. He wakes up, and tiredly walks toward the door. He opens the door to see a shaking maid.

"Yes?"

"Please help me, Lord England sir!"

"Is something wrong?"

"The Queen is not is her room! She's nowhere in the house, and her window is open! Something happened to her! I didn't know who else to go to."

"You did well,_ love_. Don't tell a soul about this. If anyone ask, the queen is still sleeping for her coronation. My apprentice and I will find her." The maid nods and hurries away. England changes into his clothes he wore earlier (without the cape and hat). He runs toward Hope's bedroom, and nods frantically on her door. The opens a few minutes later to reveal Hope wearing the same dress she wore earlier.

"Britain. What's up?"

"Something's happened. Elizabeth is not in her room, or anywhere in the house. The maid found her bedroom window opened."

"You think the Phantom's behind this?"

"Without a doubt on my mind. Let's go." England says as he and Hope run down the hall, and down the stairs. They run past the kitchen, the dining hall, and into the ballroom.

"Do you know where he took her?"

"There's only one place he can go with her without being caught, and I know exactly where. Are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Hope says and they exit onto the castle grounds. They run past toward the garden, and stop at the giant fountain.

"Release me this instant! Do you know who I am?"

"Of course I know who you are, your majesty. And that is why we are here right now."

"Who are you working for? The French? The Spanish? Or the Seymours?"

"None of the above, your majesty. I am here to create a better future. In order for that to happen, you must die." Queen Elizabeth is in her nightgown, being held by two black human shaped blobs with red antennae on their heads. The Phantom is wearing the same outfit he wore during Hope's first meeting with him with a sword in his right hand.

"I say, they look like the Pictonians."

"Yeah. America said the same thing too. So what's the plan?"

"Divide and conquer. You get Queen Elizabeth back in her room safely. I'll deal with the Phantom."

"And why do I always have to do the sneaking around? Why can't it be the other way around for once?"

"This is not the time to be picky about your part. You're not very strong with your magic yet, and I don't want you to get injured because of that. Secondly, you're better at sneaking around than I since you're smaller and faster."

"Fine. Divide and conquer. I'll tell you one thing: Once I bring her back safely, I'm coming back for you Britain."

"I would never doubt that, _love_. Be careful, and good luck."

"Same to you." Hope says as she and Britain go their separate ways.

"You would allow some greedy, corrupt man take my away my birthright as ruler of this land? Have you gone mad?"

"No, your majesty. On the contrary, that is what I'm hoping for. Once England falls, the rest will fall as well, and then the world will be under the control of the Phantom. It's a shame though. You do accomplish a lot during your reign. Farewell Elizabeth I! The woman who would not be queen!" The Phantom raises his sword, and prepares to strike her with it, but another sword blocks him from doing so. The Phantom steps back a few steps in shock to see England with sword in hand.

"I do not think so!"

"England!"

"I'm not very surprised to see you here, Britain. And in record time too. I was just about your erase your meager existence from history."

"I will not allow you to kill an innocent woman for your greed and selfishness! Especially a woman who will be proclaimed queen!"

"Frankly, I don't care what you'll allow me to do! I will end your existence, and be one step closer to dominating this world!"

"I will not let you accomplish that! I will fight you to my very last breath!"

"You have a death wish, then? So be it!" The Phantom says as he rushes toward Britain, and the two commence in a sword fight. Meanwhile, Elizabeth tries to get out of the grasps of the minions, but with no avail. Suddenly, the minions fall to the ground out cold. Elizabeth looks behind her to see Hope wiping dirt off her dress.

"Lady Richardson?" Hope stops, and quickly curtsies to the queen.

"Good evening, your majesty. Are you alright?"

"I am fine. Thank you, but how did you know I was here?"

"I do not have much time to explain. I need to get you back to your room safe and sound, so if you would come with me." Hope says as she holds out her hand. Elizabeth nods and grabs her hand, and the two start to jog. Unfortunately, the Phantom sees them escaping.

"Get back here!" The Phantom tries to run after them, but is stopped by Britain.

"If you want her so badly then you'll have to go through me first!"

"Challenge accepted." The Phantom says as he and Britain go back into their sword fight, but not before barking orders to his minions to go after them. Elizabeth and Hope are running toward the house. It is literally in front of them.

"We're almost there, your majesty. Just a little more." Hope says happily to the queen to be. However, they stop running as they see three minions are standing in front of the door.

"What shall we do now?"

"I will handle this, your majesty. You should hide. I cannot allow anything happen to you. I will tell you when it's safe to come out." Elizabeth nods and runs into the bushes. Hope cracks her hands, and her neck as she starts to warm up.

"Alright, guys. Show me whatcha got." The pictonians run toward her, and start throwing punches at her. The young woman quickly and gracefully dodges each punch thrown at her. _Just like America and the training session._ One aims for her face, but she dodges and kicks him, hoping that it would knock him down for good. It doesn't work the way she hoped, but it distracts him long enough for her to punch him twice, and kick him in the stomach, causing him to fall on the ground.

"One down. Two to go. So who's next?" The minions' antennae starts to glow bright red, and lasers shoot out from it. Hope dodges the lasers, and sees the pieces of ground, and statues that are broken apart due to them.

"That's great. You guys can shoot freaking lasers out of your freaking antennae. That is just perfect. Absolutely freaking perfect." Hope says sarcastically as she continue to dodge the lasers.

"As much as I would love to keep playing dodge the lasers, I have a few people depending on me, so I'm just gonna wrap this up. Flara!" Hope says as she quickly rubs her hands together in one quick motion. Her hands are covered with orange flames instantly. She continues to dodge the lasers shot at her, but she throws two fireballs toward them. The first one missed them by a long shot, but the second one is a direct hit. The minion falls onto the ground slightly burned. Now, it's one on one. While the last minion is distracted by the loss of it's fellow minion, the Reader uses this to her advantage by hitting it with a fireball as well. Seconds later, it also falls onto the ground. The unconscious minions slowly disappear. Hope shakes her hands to make the fire disappear. She shiver slightly from the usage of the spell.

"Well, that wasn't so bad. You may come out now, your majesty. It is safe." Elizabeth appears a few minutes later, looking around for something.

"What happened to the black creatures?"

"They are gone, your majesty. They will not harm you anymore." Elizabeth smiles at the teenager.

"I cannot thank you and England enough for saving me."

"It is our duty and pleasure to help her majesty, the queen. Let us get you inside."

"No. I can make it back on my own. You must help England."

"My lady, master England had given me strict orders to ensure you make it back safely."

"And you have. Now as your queen, I command you to help your master, and ensure his safety." Elizabeth smirks at her. Hope smiles and curtsies to her.

"How can I refuse a direct command coming from her majesty? Consider it done, your majesty. And thank you!" Hope says as she runs back toward the fountain where England is. Elizabeth smiles as she calmly walks back into the house. At the fountain, Britain and the Phantom are still fighting with their words. Each man has managed to leave a few scars on the other. However, Britain is somewhat out of practice, and is getting tired.

"Is the great United Kingdom starting to get tired? What happened to being a ruthless pirate, hmm?"

"Oh hush up, you _git_! I'm way more experienced than you'll ever be!"

"That may be true, but I have something up my sleeve. _Atrum Vines_!" The Phantom says as black vines sprout out from the ground, and managed to scratch Britain all over, especially on his side, giving him a somewhat deep cut. He groans in pain, goes on bended knee, and puts his hand on it to stop the bleeding. The Phantom laughs maniacally as he takes a few steps toward the country.

"This is a sight I've waited so long to see. The great United Kingdom kneeling at my feet. If you surrender right now, I might spare your life."

"There is no way in _bloody_ _hell_ would I ever surrender to you, you_ wanker_."

"Suit yourself. Farewell Britain! I would say it was nice to know you, but I would be lying! Levi-"

"Flara!" A fireball heads straight toward the Phantom, who manages to dodge it in time. Both men turn to see a pissed off Hope with her hands covered with fire.

"Hope!"

"If it isn't the Reader herself, finally gracing me with her appearance. And here I thought you actually took up my offer, and left these pathetic nations."

"Ha! If you actually believed for one second that I was going to do all that, then you're more stupid than I thought. I'm not abandoning, or betraying anyone. And I damn sure won't ally myself with people that try to kill my friends, and bend history to his liking."

"Is that so? I thought you come to your senses by now, but I see you are still fooled to believe you can win."

"And I see you're still fooled to believe that I will lose. Now put 'em up. I'm gonna make you pay for threatening the lives of innocent people." Hope says as she gets into a fighting stance against the Phantom.

"As much as I would love to stay, I cannot. Places to go. Events to change. But we will meet again, and I hope you realize your mistake, and join me."

"Sorry, but that's never gonna happen."

"Well, if I can't have you my dear, than no one can. _Ciao_!" The Phantom is once again surrounded by a dark aura, and disappears. Hope shakes her hands, runs toward Britain, and goes on her knees to see the damage.

"Britain, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. These aren't as bad as they seem,_ love_. How is Elizabeth? Did she make it back safely?"

"Yeah. She's fine. It took a little longer than expected because those picto wannabes blocked our way."

"Are you alright, _love_? They didn't hurt you, did they?"

"No way. I managed to beat them all by myself. They weren't that much trouble. Here, let me heal your injuries."

"That's alright, _love_. I can heal them myself."

"You are way too injured to move! Not to mention, exhausted from all that sword fighting you did. Just let me heal you, please?"

"Alright. Thank you."

"It's no problem. Healina." Hope says as she closes her eyes and concentrates. Her hands start to glow green as the injuries on Britain starts to heal. A few minutes later, the bleeding stops completely and his injuries are completely sealed. She opens her eyes, and breathes a sigh of relief.

"So, how do you feel?"

"As good as new thanks to you." Britain says as he gets up from the ground, and helps her up as well. The two go inside to get some well deserved sleep. The next day, Elizabeth is crowned at Westminster Abbey as the official queen of England. The two were there to cheer her on for her success. A couple hours of dancing and celebrating later, they grabbed their things, and head back to the Present Day.

* * *

Living Room: Present Day, 2012; One Day Later

France is currently reading a book while drinking another glass of wine, while America is playing "Super Mario 3D Land" on his Nintendo 3DS in the living room. Suddenly, a purple pinkish light glows and becomes bigger yet again, startling the two countries. They stop whatever they're doing to see Hope and Britain. Hope is wearing a gold and brown velvet gown, with the brown velvet part of the gown being in the middle of the gown while being surrounded by gold. She also has gold long sleeves and a headdress of the same color. England is basically wearing the same outfit he wore when he arrived(minus the hat), but in gold. Next to them is a trunk filled with their clothes. France and America's eyes widen at the sight before them.

"'_Ello_ boys. How have you two been?"

"Ah _Angleterre_! I am so glad to see your stuffy, boring face again safe and sound!" France says as he hugs Britain extremely tight, knowing that he's safe.

"Get off me, frog! And yes, I'm still here. It will take more than a guy with a mask to kill me off."

"And _ Espérance_! You look breathtakingly beautiful in your gown, _mademoiselle_." France says as he takes Hope's hand and kisses it. Hope blushes and giggles at the gesture.

"Thank you France. You're so sweet when you're actually being sincere instead of your usual flirtatious self. Hey, America! How are you? You're unusually quiet."

"I'm actually surprised that he wasn't the one to scream and jump on us first when we came back." America calmly walks toward them, and hugs each one individually, shocking the two of them.

"What was that for, America?"

"I'm just glad you guys came back safe and sound."

"Wow. That is very mature of you,_ git_. Perhaps you're not as hopeless as I thought you were."

"Thanks. So how did it go, Hope?"

"Oh my gosh America! You won't believe who I met during my trip. Queen Elizabeth I! The Queen Elizabeth!" Hope says as she goes up the stairs with excitement.

"Who?" America says as he picks up the trunk with ease, and follows as she goes on and on about her accomplishments, and her adventure. America happily listens on to what she has to say, secretly glad that she's back safe and sound. France and England are still in the living room.

"So was _Amérique _exaggerating about _ Espérance_, or was 'e speaking ze truth?"

"She was brave, caring, and she did use her historical surroundings to her advantage. I'll give the _git_ that much. But I'm not going to make any assumptions about her yet."

"I see. Well, you and _Espérance_ missed dinner, breakfast and lunch. China's iz cooking tonight. I get changed if I was you before anyone sees you in zat." Britain grumbles, but nods knowing that he's right. Britain walks up the stairs to his room.

"Oh, _Angleterre_?" Britain stops and turns around toward the Frenchman.

"I almost forgot to tell you. She will be going with me next." France says as he winks and walks into the kitchen, leaving the Brit to wonder what he plans on doing with her. He walks into his room, and changes his clothes, but not before praying for Hope and whatever France has in store for her. Hopefully her time with him won't leave her traumatized in any way.

**MISSION COMPLETE!**

**Hope's Notes**

**The Villain:**

**-Name: The Phantom**

**-Wants to change history, so he could become Emperor of the world.**

**-Found out he wants the book, to help him achieve his goal.**

**-Likes specific type of woman: Pretty, young, brave, and determined.**

**-Abilities: Dark Magic, Levitation, Flying, Mind Control (?).**

**The Book:**

**-A powerful tool for The Reader.**

**-Gives the ability to travel throughout History.**

**-Contains all of the world's history inside.**

**-Magic rubs off onto The Reader.**

**Your Partners, The Nations:**

**-America: Heroic (Hero complex); Cheerful; Energetic; Clueless; Can be serious and logical when necessary; Always keeps his promises; Deeply cares about his citizens; Loves Hamburgers; superhuman strength**

******-Britain: Loves Doctor Who; Hates to agree with France and America; Knowledgeable about the book, title, and the current situation; Cares very deeply about the rulers especially Queen Elizabeth; Ex-pirate; swordsman; Likes Melanie Fiona; Not a big fan of Cee Lo Green.**

**-China: Loves Hello Kitty; Ends sentences with aru.**

**-France: Flirtatious; can be very sweet at times; Actually cares for Britain more than he lets on.**

**-Germany: Stern.**

**-Italy: Cheerful, Energetic, Crybaby, makes Ve~ sounds when speaking.**

**-Italy (Romano): Italy's older brother; Hates Germany; Uses the word "bastard" a lot.**

**-Japan: Respectful; Uses chan when saying my name.**

**-Russia: Creepy; Ends sentences with da.**

**-Spain: Optimistic.**

_**And that guys is chapter 5! And we're not even half way done with this story yet! If you guys want to see what Hope's dresses look like, just say it in your review, or message me, and I'll revise this with the links. So review and give America hugs for his reason about worrying about Hope! Until next time!**_

_**~Hopefaith2**_


	6. Vive La République!

**_Hey guys! Hope here bringing you another chapter of "The Reader"! This is the moment you all have been waiting for (I think). Hope travels with France through his history. What could possibly go wrong? Before you start this chapter, let me just say this: This chapter is around or over 9,000 words, so this is the longest chapter in this story so far. But I assure you, this chapter has 9,000 words filled with anger, jealousy, comedy, sexual innuendos (cause it is France we're talking about), and tons of stuff in between. This took me almost a week or two do because of finals, and I had to move out of my dorm. But now, classes are over for the summer until August, so I have plenty of time to work on all of my stories! Yay! I don't own anything, but myself and the Phantom. All the characters of "Hetalia" are owned by the god Hidekaz Himaruya. By the way, I apologize if I messed up on the French. I don't know much French. Don't hesitate to point out any mistake, English or French. _****_So read and review, and enjoy!_**

**Mission Three: Vive La République! Team Up With France and become His WHAT?**

Kitchen: Present Day, 2012

It is 9 in the morning on a Thursday for team Hetalia. The nations are awake, wearing their usual clothes, and sitting at the kitchen table, eating breakfast. The breakfast today were _crêpes_, _tartines_ (slices) of bread with jelly and jam, _croissants_, _pain au chocolat_, and a delicious French variation of French Toast courtesy of France. They're all enjoying the meal, even Britain (who is too proud to admit that he is, but it's obvious).

"This is _muy delicioso, amigo_!"

"The tomato bastard is actually right for once."

"_Merci mon amis_. And what do you zink, _Angleterre_?"

"It's tolerable for a frog. Though I can cook much better."

"Oh _honhonhon_. _Angleterre_, it is all right. You do not 'ave to admit you like my cooking. Just seeing you eat it is good enough for _moi_."

"Oh zip it frog! Your food may be good, but that doesn't change one thing between us. Got it?"

"_Ou_i. I understand _Angleterre_. Perhaps you will come around one day. And when zat day comes, I will be waiting." France as he gets behind Britain's chair, and wraps one arm around his shoulder. Britain quickly moves it from his neck.

"Hold on, I feel like we're missing someone." Russia says as he drinks his vodka straight from the bottle.

"You're right,_ aru_. Hope is not here, _aru_!"

"She's still sleeping _ve~_!"

"Stirr? What happened to you two whire you went through time,_ Igirisu_?"

"That is my fault. She used most of her magic to heal me after the sword fight with the Phantom."

"Dude! You got into a fight with the Phantom? With swords?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full, you _git_! And yes, I did. I almost had him until he pulled that nasty spell from up his sleeve."

"It seems that you underestimated your opponent." Germany says as he calmly reads the newspaper.

"I admit I did, but that won't happen again. I'm hoping (no pun intended) that she learned from my mistake."

"Hopefurry. It wourd be very unfortunate if Hope_-san_ make the same mistake you did."

"Dude! This is Hope we're talking about! She's a smart girl! She's not the type to do something stupid and reckless."

"No. That's all you, America."

"Hey! That was uncalled for Iggy!"

"Stop calling me Iggy! It's Britain, you _git_!"

"Prease don't fight! Hope_-san_ is most rikrey sreeping right now, and your arguments wirr most rikrey wake her up."

"It's a little bit late for that, Japan. But thanks for speaking on my behalf." The nations all turn toward the end of the staircase to see Hope rubbing her eyes tiredly. She's wearing a white t-shirt with blue pajama pants. Her hair is in an usual bun. Britain smiles at her.

"Good morning, _love_. How do you feel?"

"A little tired, but fine. Thanks for asking, Britain." Hope says with a tired smile on her face.

"_Bonjour __ Espérance_! Would you like some breakfast? I made it myself."

"It looks really good France, but I'm not really hungry. I'll just make myself a quick breakfast, and be out of your hair." Hope says with a weary smile, as she walks to the cabinet to grab a bowl. A hand goes on the cabinet door to prevent her from opening it. Hope looks up to see America with the same goofy smile on her face.

"Hope, you know cereal isn't a healthy breakfast. Come sit down, and have a real breakfast with us. We would really like you to eat and chat with us."

"Fine. I'm not fully awake to argue with anyone yet." Hope says, causing America to smile widely. They walk to the table. America rushes to her chair, and pulls it out for her. His action surprises not only her, but the countries as well.

"Thank you. You didn't have to do that."

"I know, but you're still tired. And I wanted to." Hope gives him a tired smile, and sits down. France puts a plate filled with food in front of her. America excuses himself to go to the bathroom.

"Whoa. France, this is way too much food for me."

"Nonsense! You need your strength, _mademoiselle_!"

"He's right _l__ove_, after what happened yesterday. You used a lot of magic, especially on me to heal my injuries."

"But that's why you taught me those spells in the first place. I mean, that's why I'm here for. To help you guys any way I can, right?"

"Yes, but.."

"Zen it's settled! You will eat eveyzing off your plate, and zat's final!"

"Alright, France. I'll eat everything off my plate." Hope says as she starts to eat the breakfast. As she takes a bite, her eyes widen at the delicious taste of France's cooking.

"Oh my gosh. France, this is amazing. It's like heaven in my mouth!"

"_M__erci beaucoup_! Now eat up! You're going to need all your strength when you go with me today."

"Where are we going?" Hope says as she eats her breakfast happily.

"You're going zrough my 'istory. _ il n'y a que toi et moi _(It's just you and me). Isn't zat _magnifique_?" Hope swallows the food in her mouth, and looks at him with widened eyes.

"Oh hell to the no."

"_Espérance_-"

"If you honestly think for one minute that I would go anywhere with you, then you must be out of your mind!"

"But _mademoiselle_, you 'ave to come with me!"

"I don't have to do anything, especially with you. You just want me to."

"___Espérance_ s'il vous plaît! 'ave mercy! I'm begging 'ere!" France says as he goes on his knees with teary eyes in front of her. Hope raises an eyebrow toward him, and crosses her arms.

"Give me one good reason why I should."

"I'll be erased from 'istory forever due to zat _Fantôme_, and zat would be drastic on ze world!"

"As much as I hate to agree with him _love_, he's right. It's your job as the Reader to fix history, and that includes the frog's history as well." Hope heavily sighs and uncrosses her arms.

"Fine. I'll go and save you and your history, France, on one condition. We don't go to the Reign of Terror. That time period is absolutely out of the question. Understand?" France jumps and cheers as gayly as he possibly can, and hugs her.

"Don't worry,_ mon chéri_! We are not going zere. We are going to see _Napoléon_!"

"Dynamite?"

"_Non_, you silly girl. We are going to see _Napoléon_ _Bonaparte_!"

"We're going to the Napoleonic Era. Why in the world would the Phantom strike there? There's not a lot he could do to change history there."

"Zat is where you are wrong, _mon ami_. Napoleon has done many 'istory changing actions zroughout 'is reign."

"Name one."

"Ze _Napoléon__ic_ Code. I figure ze _Fantôme _would try to kill 'im before 'e could draw forth ze Code. He would go to two times during ze era: Ze moment where an assassination attempt took place, or ze day he proposes ze Code." Hope and the other nations stares at him, unable to believe that France came up with something so brilliant. France smiles and laughs his usual, perverted, laugh at the sight of everyone's shocked faces.

"That's weird. France just made a very rational and intelligent point." Britain says in complete shock.

"_Ja_. I cannot believe it either. Vho vould of thought that France out of all people vould come up vith something like that?"

"Who knew the perverted bastard thought about other things than sex?"

"Who knew he actually think,_ aru_?"

"I guess the impossibre can happen every once in a whire."

"_Excusez-moi_! Are you all implying zat I only zink when it comes to sex?"

"Who the hell cares! France, you're a freaking genius! We're actually one step ahead of the Phantom now thanks to you!" Hope screams happily as she jumps out of her chair. She grabs his face, and gives him a kiss on the lips. Her gesture of gratitude shocks everyone, especially America, who just finished using the bathroom, and walked in on it happening. His eyes widen, and his mouth is agape. His glasses are slowly sliding down his face. A couple of seconds later, Hope ends the kiss, and smiles widely.

"I'm going to get everything ready for our trip. I'll be down in a while!" Hope says as she runs upstairs to her room happily. The nations are completely silent as they all stare at France, who looks absolutely stupefied. He recovers a couple of seconds later.

"Oh_ honhonhonhonhon_. Zis is what I get for saying one good idea? Per'aps I should pitch anozer one to 'er to see 'ow furzer I get with 'er. Maybe she will-"

"Don't even think about, France. If you try anything on her, I will erase your existence** personally **without any help from the Phantom. Got it?" America says seriously toward the Frenchman, shocking everyone in the room.

"Of course, _Amérique_. You know full well zat I would not try anyzing on our dear _lecteur_. Now if you all excuse me, I must get ready for my _aventure _with _ Espérance_." France says as he walks up the stairs flamboyantly. Meanwhile, America silently stares at the floor with a somber expression on his face. Japan walks up to his friend, and softly touches his shoulder.

"America_-san_? Is everything arright? You seem sad arr of a sudden." America looks up at Japan and smiles at him. He instantly goes into a heroic pose.

"The hero's always alright! Hey Japan! Wanna play some video games?"

"_Hai_. I wourd rove to pray with you, America-san." Japan says as America drags him into the living room.

"That was quite interesting, _Дa_?"

"I wonder what is wrong with America, _aru._"

"Something's up with him. I can tell you that. We'll figure that out later. We have bigger things to worry about right now."

"_Ja_, I agree. I vill be upstairs. I need to have a talk vith Hope before she leaves." Germany says as he goes up the stairs to Hope's bedroom. Italy goes into the kitchen to make pasta. Russia goes outdie to continue drinking his vodka. China goes to his room, and Britain takes the newspaper Germany left behind, and goes into the study to read it.

"But I was here the whole time. No one asked me what I thought."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Canada."

One hour later...

France is sitting in the living room, waiting patiently for Hope to come downstairs while reading a french magazine. America comes into the living room a few minutes later, and sits next to him on the couch with a surprising stern look on his face, not saying a word.

"Is zere a problem,_Amérique_?"

"There's no problem. I'm fine."

"You are lying, _mon ami_. Now, what seems to be ze problem?"

"Just...look after her. Make sure she comes back safe and sound, alright?"

"Of course I will. She is ze key to saving our 'istory. Why would I not?"

"That shouldn't be too hard for you. She seems to like you anyway."

"_Q__uoi_? What do you mean by zat?"

"She kissed you. And knowing you, the feeling must be mutual."

"Oh _honhonhonhon_. _Amérique_, you are very wrong. _Espérance_ only kissed me to show 'er gratitude toward _moi_. As much as I would love for 'er to go further with me, zat is ze closest I will ever get with 'er."

"Really?"

"_Oui_. I assure you, zere is nothing between us. _Espérance_ is free as a bird...for now."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Just trust me on zis _Amérique_ and let me handle everyzing."

"Let you handle what, France?" Hope says as she finally emerges from her room with book in hand. She is wearing a red long sleeved shirt, blue jeans, and her boots. Her hair is in an usual bun. France stands up and greets her.

"Let me handle you, ___ Espérance_! Since you are going with me, I must protect you from ze _Fantôme_ at all costs!" France says as he walks toward her, and puts and arm over her shoulders. Hope sweat drops at this.

"Is that right? I think I'm better off looking after myself. Thanks anyway" France drops his arm around her, and puts his hand over his chest dramatically.

"Ouch. You wound me _mademoiselle_."

"You'll live. Hey America."

"Hey, Hope. You ready for this?"

"Not really, but I don't have much of a choice." America laughs at her response.

"You'll do fine. You're a smart girl, so there's no way you can fail."

"Thanks. Now can we get this show on the road? I'm already starting to regret this, and we haven't even left yet."

"_Oui_! _Allons-y __ Espérance_!"

"I'll see you later, America. Hopefully I'm not traumatized physically and/or mentally when I come back." America laughs hysterically at the Reader's sarcastic remarks.

"Later, Hope. And be careful."

"I will. Will you be here when I come back, right?"

"Of course I will! The hero will always be here for you!"

"Cool. So where to, France?"

"December 24th, 1800."

"Christmas Eve? Okay. December 24th, 1800." Hope says as she opens the book once more. The book starts to glow yet again the same bright pink color. The light surrounds Hope and France. The light glows brighter and bigger every second. The light then dims and gets smaller as they disappear from America's sight. America sighs and lays on the couch to take a nap, hoping to get something off his mind.

* * *

Rue Saint-Nicaise, (Paris) France: December 24th, 1800

The lovely streets of France that are lightly covered in snow are surprisingly busy at this time. In an alley not too far from the main streets, a small pinkish purple starts to glow The light grows bigger and bigger as well as brighter as two people slowly comes into view. The light fades, then disappears as Hope and France come into view. Hope is wearing a long, loose white cotton gown with semi puffy sleeves with a cream colored pattern that is below her chest (which was considered the waistline at the time). Her hair is pinned up in a semi-fancy up do with curls. France on the meantime is wearing the ensemble that is familiar to Napoleon's, however it is blue patterned velvet embroidered in gold and silver metallic threads, blue and white silk threads. He is also wearing stockings, and black colored shoes.

"Okay. Now let's get down to business. Do you know where he's heading?"

"_Oui_. 'e is heading toward ze _Opéra-Comique_."

"And the bomb is supposed to go off around 8 P.M.?"

"_Oui_. What time is it now?" Hope looks around for the time, but the church bells go off to tell them the time. It rings 8 times to signify that it is exactly 8 o clock.

"Exactly 8. Now we just sit back, and enjoy the show." Hope says as they watch the carriage that is surrounded by men ride through the street. Hope takes out the book and starts to read it, while taking glances at the sight in front of her to make sure everything is going as written. France is watching anxiously at the scene in front of them. Hope keeps reading the book, but France grabs her, and pushes her onto the ground with him on top of her. A giant "BOOM!" sound is heard, and people are screaming and running hysterically.

"Are you alright, _c____héri_?" France says worriedly and sincerely. Hope opens her eyes to see France, and sighs in relief that they're both alive.

"I'm fine. Are you okay?"

"_Bien sûr_! In perfect condition."

"That's good. What about the carriage?" France turns his neck toward the carriage to see it's in good shape. The carriage rides away with all the passengers inside, including Napoleon.

"Zey are alive. Shaken, but alive." Hope sighs in relief, and makes a faint smile.

"Good. Everything happened the way it said it would in the book. Looks like the Phantom didn't show up here then."

"Zat means 'e is at ze time where ze code is being introduced."

"Yeah. Can you get off me now? I really don't want you out of all people to be on top of me."

"Oh _honhonhonhon_. 'aving naughty zoughts, are we _ Espérance_?"

"France, if you don't get the hell up off me, I will kick your beloved Eiffel tower. And I'm very certain you don't want that to happen." France doesn't need to be told twice as he gets off her as quickly as possible, and helps her up from the ground. She dusts off the dirt off her dress, and sleeves.

"Are we going to the date the code is being introduced?"

"_Non_. We are going ze day before zat. Zat way we can get a 'ead start from ze _Fantôme_."

"Damn, you are on a roll today. What's gotten into you lately?"

"It is you, _mademoiselle_. Your beauty and liveliness 'ave an effect on _moi_."

"Oh hush up. Flattery will get you nowhere, frog, so stop trying. So when was the code introduced?"

"March 21st, 1804." Hope opens the book to a random page in it.

"Alright then. March 20th, 1804." The book starts to glow yet again the same bright pink color, which starts to surround them. The light glows brighter and bigger every second. The light then dims and gets smaller as they travel back through time to another date in French History.

* * *

Palace of Fontainebleau (Paris), France; March 20th, 1804

It is a beautiful spring day in Paris, France. The day is almost done as the sun starts to set. The light grows bigger and bigger as well as brighter as two people slowly comes into view. The light fades, then disappears. Hope and France are wearing the same clothes they wore before during the assassination attempt almost four years back. Hope looks around her surroundings for a bit.

"Wow. What a beautiful garden. It's more lovelier than Queen Elizabeth's."

"We French are 'ow you Americans say, bosses when it comes to gardening. Zose Brits wish zey could garden like ze French."

"As much as I love this nationalist pride thing you have going on right now, I suggest we just finish this really quickly. I kinda want a burger right now."

"What is with you Americans, and burgers? Why not eat somezing cultural, and delicious for a change?"

"Do you know what type of food my college serves us? It's disgusting. There's nothing not even slightly good in the dining hall, except for the ice cream. Getting a burger that tastes tolerable is like winning the lottery. You lived with delicious food and fine wine all your life, but not everyone is lucky like you."

"___Espérance_, Je suis désolée. I did not mean it like zat."

"Don't worry about it. I know you didn't. Right now, I just wanna try this food that you're always raving about to be oh so good." Hope says as she smirks at him.

"Oh _honhonhonhon_. Well zen. Allow me to escort you inside, _c____héri_." France says as he bows in front of her, and offers his arm for her. Hope rolls her eyes and decides to play along.

"I would be honored, _monsieur_." Hope says as she curtsies toward the Frenchman. She links her arm into his, and they walk together into the palace. A couple of minutes, they arrive through the giant double doors. The walk down the long hallway that leads into the ballroom.

"Are you nervous?" France whispers to her, so no one else will hear them.

"Not as much as I was the last time I did this. I handled meeting the Queen of England pretty well. I'm sure I won't have any problem meeting the Emperor of France." Hope says as she looks toward him and smiles. France nods and they stop in front of the doors that lead to the ballroom.

"Oh no! I never went over etiquette with you! _Mon dieu_!"

"Relax. Britain taught me a couple of pointers about etiquette when we went to his time to meet Queen Elizabeth."

"Oh? And what did 'e say?"

"You will behave as a proper young lady of court. You will curtsy to everyone of equal or higher status, especially to the Queen. You will only speak when spoken to. If the Queen, or I ask you to do something, you will do it immediately, and not question it. You will always smile, be considerate, and well mannered, not to mention graceful, and lovely. You are a lady of court the moment you step into that building." Hope says as she speaks with a fake British accent, repeating all of Britain's words. France cannot help but laugh at her impression of Britain.

"_Angleterre_ put you zrough quite a lecture, didn't 'e?"

"You have no idea." The doors open, and everyone in court stop what they're doing to see them. It is extremely silent due to the musicians stopped playing. All the people of court staring at the duo, whispering intently at them while pointing fingers at them, especially Hope. Hope takes a deep breath, and they start to walk toward the Emperor and Empress. The Emperor Napoleon is sitting in his high chair with his crown on his head, wearing his usual attire, which is like France's, but much more flashy and showy. His wife and Empress, Josephine, was brown haired woman with very fair skin. She was wearing a dress that was very much like Hope, but her is also more flashy and showy. France and Hope stop a few feet from the ruling duo. France goes into a deep bow, while Hope goes into a deep curtsy.

"_François_! It is a pleasure to see you again! What brings you 'ere, _mon ami_?"

"_Bonjour_ _Napoléon_. I am 'ere because I 'eard you are going to debut somezing very important tomorrow. And I just 'ave to be here when it 'appens. _Joséphine_, you look lovely as always."

"_Merci_, _François_. And who is zis _mademoiselle_ that accompanies you?" Josephine says as she looks toward Hope. France signals her to introduce herself. Hope takes a few steps, then curtsies toward the Emperor and Empress.

"_Bonjour_ Emperor _Napoléon_, Empress_ Joséphine_. I am ___Espérance_ Babineaux. It is an extreme honor to be in the presence of the great Emperor and Empress."

"It is nice to meet you, _mademoiselle Babineaux_. Now, if you do not mind me asking, but what is your relationship between ze two of you?" Napoleon asks, startling both Hope and France.

"Well, you see, I-"

"She is my mistress!" France blurts out, causing all heads (especially Hope's) to look at him.

"_Votre maîtresse _(Your mistress)?"

"_Oui_. But I do not only keep 'er around for ze sex. I also keep 'er around because she is very smart, especially in 'istory and literature!" France says while nervously laughing. He can feel Hope's glare on him that's screaming out 'I am so killing you when I get the chance.'.

"Is zis true,_ mademoiselle Babineaux_?" Josephine says, putting Hope back on the spot. Hope realizes that she needs to play along with France's lie for a while, and then she can kill him later when there's no witnesses.

"_Oui_, your majesty. I am quite skilled in history and literature because I read a lot as a child."

"And what 'appened to your_ famille_?"

"They were all killed during the Reign of Robespierre. I am the only survivor, your majesty."

"I see. You are both welcome 'ere with open arms. I 'ope you enjoy your stay, and you are welcome to join us tomorrow."

"_M__erci beaucoup_." Hope says as she curtsies once again. Napoleon nods and claps his hands as the music starts to play, and the dancing continues. A few hours later, the royal couple retires for the night, and soon everyone else follow. Hope and France walk side by side, with arms linked toward each other. Hope can't help but overhear what the other women they're passing by are saying about her.

"I do not know why 'e chose 'er to be 'is _maîtresse_."

"'e could 'ave a much prettier _mademoiselle _if 'e really tried."

"Pe'aps 'e chose 'er for 'er education. Zat must be ze reason why 'e chose 'er."

"Women are not supposed to educated. We're suppose to be wives and mothers, not scholars."

"Does she know zat is not attractive at all?"

"Zere is nothing attractive about 'er. Look at 'er skin! It is dark like dirt."

"Zat because she is. She is nothing but dirt." The group of women laugh that comment. The last ones Hope really took to heart. She knew she was an African American, and she was always proud of her heritage. People always had different names for her skin tone. Black, colored, brown, a great tan, and even caramel (which she says in a joking matter), but dirt was a new one. And it really tore her heart in two. They arrive to their bedroom, and as soon as France closes the door, and turns around, he feels a knee on his stomach. France cries out in pain, as he grabs his stomach. He looks up to see a very furious Hope.

"I ought to kill you right now, you flamboyant, perverse son of a bitch!"

"_Mademoiselle_! What was zat for!"

"For saying I'm your mistress! Honestly! You couldn't think of a better excuse! Now everyone, especially the great Napoleon thinks I'm a whore thanks to you!" Hope says as she slaps him in the face, and knees him in the stomach again. France screams again, and goes down on his knees onto the floor while holding his stomach.

"___Espérance_ s'il vous plaît! I panicked and zat was ze only reasonable zing I could zink of for you. I should 'ave told you first. I will admit zat I was wrong for not telling you."

"Damn right you should of! The things those women were saying about me just put salt on the damn open wound!" Hope says as she starts to pace around angrily around the room. France looks at her somewhat worried about her well being.

"_Quoi_? What was zey saying about you?"

"How ugly, and unattractive I am. How you could have found a prettier girl if you tried. How you only keep me around for my smarts, and how unattractive it is to be educated."

"_Espérance_-"

"I could care less about all that! I really don't care what they think about me. The worst part was what that one woman said about me that I really took to heart."

"What did she say?" Hope stops pacing, and looks at France with tears that are falling down her cheeks.

"She called me dirt. Her friend said my skin is dark like dirt. She replied by saying because I am. I'm nothing but dirt." Hope says as goes on her knees, and starts to sob. France look down in shame and sadness. He knew she didn't deserve all those things that were being said about her, especially being called dirt. She was just doing her job to save History. France gets up from his spot, and slowly walks over to the crying Reader. He goes down next to her, and takes her into her arms. Hope doesn't try to fight him off. She just embraces his hug.

"'ope, _Je suis désolée_. I did not mean for zis to 'appen. I only said it so people would not become suspicious of you. You are attractive, _mon ami_."

"No I'm not. They were all right about me. I'm just an unattractive woman that's nothing but dirt." France pulls her out of his embrace, and forces her to look directly at his eyes.

"'ope! I never want to 'ear you say zat about yourself ever again! You are nothing zey said about you, especially dirt! Zose women only say zis because zey are jealous that I am with you, and not with zem. You are a beautiful _mademoiselle_, inside and out. _Angleterre_ knew it too. Zat is why 'e chose you to be ze _lecteur. _Because you are diplomatic, kind'earted, and generous. You willingly agreed to 'elp out people you 'ardly knew, and ask for nothing in return. You could 'ave went back to your 'ome without any problem, but you did not. You stood your ground more zan once. Even when you were zreatened with death. Zat takes a lot of courage and 'eart."

"You...you really mean that?" Hope says as she wipes away her tears.

"_Bien sûr_! You are one of ze strongest people I know. And I'm sure ___Amérique_ would agree with me when I say all of zis to you."

"America agreeing to that? I doubt it."

"'ow in ze world could you? ___Amérique_ was bragging about you after ze mission you went zrough with 'im. 'e was ze one who said 'ow smart and brave you were zere, even in ze face of danger. It was 'im who could not stop saying 'ow amazing you are."

"America really said all that to you?" Hope says as she starts to blush at the thought of America thinking so highly of her.

"_Oui_. You can ask _Angleterre_ if you do not believe me."

"I didn't think he thought so highly of me. I just thought I was another citizen to him."

"On _non_! ___Amérique_ zinks of you much more zan zat. 'e told us zat he values you much more zan just a citizen."

"Really?"

"Yes. Well, I do believe it is time to get to sleep. We 'ave a big day ahead of us."

"Right. I'm gonna go change into my nightgown." Hope says as she gets up from the ground. She grabs the nightgown, and walks to the bathroom. France gets up from the ground, and wipes off the dust off his clothes.

"France?" France looks up at Hope, who is leaning in the doorway.

"_M__erci beaucoup _for cheering me up just now."

"_Pas de quoi, __ Espérance_!" Hope smiles at him, and then enters the bathroom, and closes the door behind her (and locks it for safety measures) to change into her nightgown. A couple of minutes later, she exits out of the bathroom to see France is in his night clothing as well. Hope calmly walks toward the bed, and picks up a pillow and throws it at him.

"'ey! What was zat for!"

"You're sleeping on the floor. The day you and I sleep in the same bed is the day hell freezes over."

"I have to sleep on ze floor? Even after I 'elped you feel better after you were crying?"

"It's your fault I was crying in the first place! If you hadn't told the whole freaking court that I was your mistress, none of this would have happened!"

"Again, I apologize."

"I forgive you, but that doesn't mean you're getting off that easy. As punishment, you have to sleep on the floor." France lays down on the pillow on the floor, and sighs.

"Fine. Zat seems reasonable. May I 'ave anozer pillow, and some sheets?" A pillow and sheets are thrown at his head.

"Good night, France."

"_Bonne nuit, _'ope." France says he warps the covers around him, and pretends to fall asleep. A couple of minutes later, he gets up from the floor, and tires to sneak into the bed. Suddenly, he hears a_ Click!_, and he finds himself face to face with a handgun being held by Hope.

"Come any closer, and I will shoot your beloved Eiffel tower."

"Ahhhhh! Where in ze 'ell did you get ze gun from?"

"Germany. After he found out I was going with you, he gave it to me. He figured that I could have something that would help me protect myself from your perverseness. Gotta love _Deutschland _for thinking ahead. Now, if you want reproductive organs that continue to work, then I suggest you climb off this bed, and sleep on the floor like a good little boy. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am." France says as he climbs off the bed, scared for his sex life instead of his regular life. He lays back down on the ground, and whimpers a few times, before falling asleep. Hope sighs, and puts the gun underneath her pillow. _I wonder if he knows that it's actually not loaded. Oh well! If it gets him off my back for awhile, then I'll take it._ Hope puts her head on her pillow and closes her eyes.

The Next Day (March, 21st, 1804)

It a beautiful morning in the palace. Hope is still sleeping on the bed peacefully, while France is outside taking in the fresh air, and the lovely elegant scenery. Thankfully, he took Hope's warning to heart because he never attempted to get on the bed again. A few minutes later, Hope opens her eyes, and stretches in the bed as she yawns. She gets out of bed, and sees that France isn't there. She puts the pillows and sheets on the bed, and walks into the bathroom to wash up and get changed. She emerges from the bathroom, and puts on a cream colored gown with a gold pattern that is below her chest. Her decides to leave her hair down, and puts on her shoes. She walks out of their bedroom down the hall to find France. She sees two of the young women that were gossiping about her last night. She walks up to them, and curtsies to them.

"Pardon me, but do you know where _M__onsieur __François _is at the moment?"

"He is in ze gardens. It is down ze hall, and ze last door on ze right."

"_Merci_." Hope says sweetly as she continues walking down the hallway.

"I still can not understand why you out of all people are 'is mistress." Hope stops walking, and calmly turns around to face them. She smiles at them warmly.

"If your uneducated mind cannot comprehend why _M__onsieur __François _and I are together now, then I doubt you ever will. I refuse to waste my time explaining why to you out of all people." Hope says as she turns around and walks away with a giant smirk on face. She hears them gasp and stomp away angrily. Hope finds the garden, and sees France sitting down with his eyes closed. She smiles as she walks toward him, and gently shakes him. He opens his eyes and smiles when he sees her.

"_Bonjour __ Espérance_! 'ow are you zis morning?"

"Good morning. I'm fine, thanks. So you do this every morning?"

"_Oui_! It is a great feeling when you sit 'ere, and let ze wind 'it your 'air, and admire ze natural scenery."

"It is. Hey, is it alright if I join you sometime?"

"Of course! You are welcome to join me anytime."

"Thanks. I think breakfast is ready now."

"Well zen what are we waiting for! _Allons-y_!" France says as he quickly gets up, grabs Hope's hand, and lead her inside to the dining room. In the dining hall, there is so much food on the table. France eats his meal happily and with grace and manners. Hope stick to what she knows about French cuisine, and only eats the _crêpes, __croissants_, and _pain au chocolat_. She does however try a pastry called an _éclair_, and she finds that she likes it very much. After breakfast is done, Napoleon, Josephine, members of the Council, France, and Hope all walk into a separate room, and take their seats as Napoleon begins to talk about the code.

"Zank you all for coming. Now, I called zis meeting to bring out an important document zat will be effective immediately." Napoleon starts toward the people in the room. Suddenly, the doors behind the chairs are burst open, as a gush of wind flies into room, knocking away papers, hats, and wigs. The minions and the Phantom appear out of nowhere, scaring all the members of the court into running out of the room. Napoleon gets into a fighting position while Josephine stands in her spot with her hands over her mouth. Hope and France are startled, but quickly follow suit and get into fighting stances.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot let that happen, emperor. If you would be so kind to hand over the code, I'll spare your life." The Phantom says as he steps into the room.

"Who are you? You 'ave no right to be 'ere and demand anyzing from me!"

"I am the Phantom, the future emperor of the world, as soon as you hand over the code to me."

"Never!"

"Fine. Then you leave me no choice." The Phantom says as he shoots a dark energy ball toward Josephine. Josephine is too frightened to move.

"_Joséphine! __S__ors de la_ _voie_(Get out of the way)!" Napoleon screams to his wife. Suddenly, Hope grabs her, and moves her out of the way of the attack. Both women land on the ground. The Phantom growls in irritation.

"_Joséphine!"_

_"__Espérance_!" Josephine sits up on the ground and looks at Hope, who has yet to move.

"_Mademoiselle Babineaux_!" Hope stirs and wakes up. She slowly sits up from the ground, and she's on her knees. Her right hand is on the left side of her waist, which is exposed due to the fabric of her dress of her dress being cut by the attack. Her hand and cut on her dress is being covered by a red substance.

"M_ademoiselle Babineaux, _you are bleeding!" Hope pants until her breathing is normal again. She slightly winces at the pain, but manages to smile toward the Empress.

"It's not as bad as it looks. It's just a scratch. Are you alright, Empress?"

"_Oui_. _M__erci beaucoup mademoiselle_." Hope acknowledges her by a simple nod of her head.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you Hope?" Everyone looks at the Phantom, who is not pleased by her interference.

"The day I quit is the day you stop making your plans." Hope says bravely as she slowly gets up from the ground, wincing every once in a while.

"I believe you would either die or join me when that day comes. And look, you brought the weakling of Europe with you as back up. I'm sure you could have found someone else to accompany you. Someone who is actually worth the fight. Or are you that desperate for allies?" The Phantom says as he laughs hysterically. He doesn't even realize until the last second that sword is aiming toward his face. He dodges, but manages to get a cut on his cheek. Everyone looks on in shock as France jumps back with sword in hand in a fencing pose ready to take him on again.

"What the-"

"You should never underestimate ze opponent. No matter 'ow weak zey look. Zat could prove to be a fatal mistake." France says seriously with a smirk on his face. _Whoa. Who knew France could actually be badass and frightening?_

"Emperor, Empress. I believe you should leave now. We cannot afford either of you to get hurt." Hope says to them in a sincere tone. Napoleon nods, grabs his code, and runs toward Josephine while frantically asking her if she's alright. She assures him that she's alright, and they run out of the room. Hope runs toward France, and gets into a fighting stance while wincing due to the wound.

"'ope, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. It's nothing but a scratch. I'll heal myself after we handle this. He's way overdue for an ass kicking anyway."

"Unfortunately, I cannot stay for that. You somehow thwarted my plans twice here, and I rather not risk a third time. I must bid you both a good day. So many events, so little time. But I will leave you with a parting gift. _Ciao_!" The Phantom says as he laughs hysterically. He is once again surrounded by a dark aura, and disappears. Seven of his minions still remain in the room. France puts away his sword, and chooses to do hand to hand combat. The minions rush to attack them. Hope and France rush toward them. After a couple of minutes, four of the seven minions are lying on the ground. Three remain standing tall, and not giving up without a fight. Hope and France are back to back, in fighting stances. Hope breathes very heavily and quickly, and crunches her hands into fists very hard. There is a line of blood going down her dress. Her face is slightly pale, and sweaty. France can't help but worry about her.

"Your injury is bothering you, _non_?"

"I said I'm fine. I'll heal it when we're done."

"_Espérance_, you need to 'eal zat wound now. If you do not treat it now, you will bleed to death. I'll take over until you 'eal it completely."

"There's no way I'm letting you take these guys on your own!"

"And zere is no way zat I'm letting you bleed to death! If you keep fighting, zen you will 'ave no strength to 'eal your wound! ___Espérance_ s'il vous plaît!"___  
_

"But you'll be a more open target for them if I leave! You'll be put in a more dangerous spot than before!"

"I promised ___Amérique_ zat I would make sure you come back safe and sound, and I intend on keeping it." France says seriously toward the Reader. _And __Amérique would kill me ten times over if you came back with a wound like zat. _Hope sighs, knowing that she won't win in this argument against him.

"Alright France. Be careful with these guys, alright?"

"Zey will be no problem. I've faced ze Pictonians before. Zey won't be too hard to take on." Hope smiles and runs out of the room as quickly as possible.

_"_Now let's 'ave a little bit of fun, _non_?_ Oh honhonhonhonhon." _France says as he smirks at the remaining minions. The minions come toward him, but France manages to dodge every punch they throw at him. In a matter of minutes, France finishes without even getting his hands remotely dirty. France smiles as he watches the minions slowly disappear into nothing. France flips his hair at a job well done._  
_

"Zat is why you should not mess with ze mighty and all powerful France! Oh _honhonhonhonhon_." France walks out of the room to check on Hope. As he opens the door, he doesn't see Hope anywhere. He starts to slightly to get worried about her welfare as he rushes toward their bedroom. He pushes the door open to their bedroom with such force. He sighs in relief as he sees her moving around with no difficulty, and the color returned to her face. She stops, and smiles when she sees France.

"Hey France. I didn't expect you to be be finished so quickly. They weren't too much trouble for you, were they?"

"Not at all. You forget zat I am an ex-pirate and swordsman like _Angleterre_. I can 'andle anything zat comes my way. 'ow do you feel?"

"I'm fine. My injury's completely healed. Thanks for looking out for me back there."

"It is fine. I figured it was time for me to return ze favor. _Mon dieu_! What about _Napoléon_ and ze code?"

"Don't worry. Napoleon introduced the code without any problem! Your can happily flirt with anything that moves without any fear."

"_C'est magnifique_! _M__erci beaucoup __ Espérance_! Now, if you would do ze honors, _mademoiselle_." Hope nods as she grabs the book off the nightstand, and walks toward him. She opens the book to a random page.

"I would be delighted. Present Day." The book starts to glow the same color, which starts to surround Hope and France. The light glows brighter and bigger every second. The light then dims and gets smaller after a couple of seconds as they travel back through time to present day.

* * *

Kitchen: Present Day, 2012; One And A Half Days Later

It is a little after 1 in the morning in the present. All is quiet in the house of Team Hetalia, which is very unusual. It's even more unusual that the kitchen is quiet. A small light appears in the kitchen. The light grows bigger and bigger as well as brighter as two people slowly comes into view. The light fades, then disappears. Hope and France are wearing the same clothes they wore during the introduction of the Napoleonic Code (bloodstain and all).

"That's weird. No one's here. And it's unusually quiet. I wonder where everyone is."

"I 'ope nozing 'as 'appened to _Angleterre_."

"What about everyone else?"

"Oh right. I 'ope nozing 'as 'appened to everyone else as well." Hope rolls her eyes, and walks into the living room. She silently gasps at the scene in front of her. She smiles warmly as she sees America on the couch, and Britain in the chair, sleeping. _That is so adorable! I wish I had my iPhone on me right now, so I could take a picture of this. _France walks next to her, and can't help but smile at them.

"Awww. Isn't zat cute. Zey waited up for us!"

"Yeah. Guess there is more to them than meets the eye. Let's go get some blankets for them." Hope says as she and France goes up their stairs to find two blankets. A couple of minutes later, they return with a blanket in each hand. Hope covers America with a blue blanket, and makes sure the blanket covers all of him. She slowly takes off his glasses, folds them, and lays them on the table next to the couch. She slowly and carefully sits down on the edge of the couch, so she wouldn't wake him. She softly rubs his hair, and moves the bangs out of his face. France puts a red blanket over Britain, and rubs his hair softly.

"If _Angleterre_ was zis quiet all ze time, 'e would be so adorable, and sexy."

"Jeez France. Not even five minutes since we've been back, and you're already trying to flirt with the man. This must be a new record." Hope says as she keeps rubbing America's hair. He smiles a little bit at the rubbing, causing her to giggle at his reaction.

"What can I say? I am French, _non_? Oh _honhonhonhonhon_."

"Whatever. Let's go to bed. We can see them tomorrow when they're conscious, and Britain can actually put up a fight against you." Hope says as she gets up from the couch, and kicks France out of the living room.

"_Bonne nuit __Angleterre, ____Amérique_." France says as he start to walk up the stairs, and into his room.

"B_onne nuit, __ Espérance_."

"Good night, France." Hope hears France close his door. Hope yawns, and walks out of the living room. She stop at the end of the room, and turns her head toward the sleeping Allies.

"Good night, guys. And thank you for being there when I came back, America." Hope says softly as she shuts off the light. She walks up the stairs, and into her room. She opens her door, and quietly shuts it.

* * *

**MISSION COMPLETE!**

**Hope's Notes**

**The Villain:**

**-Name: The Phantom**

**-Wants to change history, so he could become Emperor of the world.**

**-Found out he wants the book, to help him achieve his goal.**

**-Likes specific type of woman: Pretty, young, brave, and determined.**

**-Abilities: Dark Magic, Levitation, Flying, Mind Control (?).**

**The Book:**

**-A powerful tool for The Reader.**

**-Gives the ability to travel throughout History.**

**-Contains all of the world's history inside.**

**-Magic rubs off onto The Reader.**

**Your Partners, The Nations:**

**-America: Heroic (Hero complex); Cheerful; Energetic; Clueless; Can be serious and logical when necessary; Always keeps his promises; Deeply cares about his citizens; Loves Hamburgers; superhuman strength; surprising thinks highly of me.**

******-Britain: Loves Doctor Who; Hates to agree with France and America; Knowledgable about the book, title, and the current situation; Cares very deeply about the rulers especially Queen Elizabeth; Ex-pirate; swordsman; Likes Melanie Fiona; Not a big fan of Cee Lo Green; cares about France more than he lets on.**

******-China: Loves Hello Kitty; Ends sentences with aru.**

**-France: Flirtatious; can be very sweet at times; Actually cares for Britain more than he lets on; Great chef; loves gardening; loves nature; Ex-pirate; swordsman; true to his word; can be frightening when pushed too far; has moments of intelligence.**

**-Germany: Stern; always looking out for everyone.**

**-Italy: Cheerful, Energetic, Crybaby, makes Ve~ sounds when speaking.**

**-Italy (Romano): Italy's older brother; Hates Germany; Uses the word "bastard" a lot.**

**-Japan: Respectful; Uses -chan when saying my name.**

**-Russia: Creepy; Ends sentences with da; drinks vodka straight out the bottle with no problem.**

**-Spain: Optimistic.**

**Nations I've met (so far):  
**

******-Canada: America's brother; Has a polar bear called Kumajiro; Tend to forget he's there; No one seems to remember his name, or existence; Makes AWESOME pancakes; Quiet; Reserved; The total opposite of America.**

**_And that is Chapter 6! So, what did you think? Tell me what you think in your review! And before I forget, my third year anniversary on this site was on the 10th. I will take reviews as an anniversary present. :D Until next time!_  
**

**_~Hopefaith2_**


	7. Hope's Saturday Off: At the Carnival!

_**Hey folks! It's Hopefaith2 wishing you guys a happy Memorial Day! So I worked on this all night, and I just finished this. So please, no flames. I'm tired, and I will scream and curse you out via PM lol. So, this is over 10,000 words. The LONGEST chapter I've written to date. Warning: This chapter contains humor, offensive jokes ( I think. But I'm putting it in there just in case), sexual innuendos, and other things I just can't remember. By the way, there's this one part in the story that may be gross, and/or awkward. I'm not gonna say where it is, but when you read it, you'll find it yourself. So, read and review! I hope this was good enough for you guys, cause I worked my ass of for this. So now I present to you guys chapter 7 of "The Reader". Enjoy!**_

**Subplot Two: Hope's Saturday Off: At the Carnival!**

Kitchen: Present Day, 2012

Britain is happily reading his daily newspaper while drinking his Earl Grey tea in the kitchen. It's the morning of the day Hope and France returned from their adventure. He and America woke up surprised as they each discovered a blanket covering them, as well as America's glasses being off his face. They quickly came to the conclusion that Hope and France cover them with the blankets as they came home. Hope's reason for said action because she didn't want them to get cold as they slept, or to show her gratitude. France most likely did because he finally got his chance to touch Britain without any objections made from him. Although it could be argued that he done it to be kind, but they believed their first prediction is more possible and realistic than the latter. Britain, being the gentlemen that he is, took a shower and got dressed. He is dressed in his usual green military uniform. America walks down the stairs a few minutes later, and sits on the chair that is next to Britain's. He's wearing his usual military outfit which consists of a tan uniform and his famous brown bomber jacket with his glasses on his face.

"Hey Iggy?"

"Britain." Britain says without taking his eyes off his newspaper.

"Whatever. Can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"Well, I was thinking-"

"That's a first."

"Hey! I'm being serious here!"

"Alright. Before you ask your question, I have to know what it's about. Is it hamburger related?"

"No."

"Hero complex related?"

"No. It's really important." Britain raises one of his giant eyebrows at him. He's surprised at the fact that it's something not America related.

"Are you telling me that what you have ask is something that is actually related to the current situation at hand?"

"Yeah. It really does." _What in the bloody hell is going on with him? He's never this serious or attentive before. Something must be seriously up with him._

"America? Are you alright? Do you have a fever?" Britain says with a somewhat worried tone as he puts his hand over America's forehead, expecting it to be scorching hot with fever. America groans, and waves his hand away in irritation.

"I'm fine! Can I just ask my question please?"

"Oh alright. If it's not about you, then what is it about?"

"Well it's about Hope."

"Hmm? And what about Hope exactly?" _Why in the world would he bring her up out of all things?_

"Well, you know she's been on a good start so far."

"Yes. She is doing wonderfully well for a beginner."

"Yeah. And you know how she helped you and France?"

"Yes. What are trying to say?"

"Well, I was wondering if maybe...she could have the rest of the weekend off?"

"The rest of the weekend off?"

"Yeah."

"And why should I do that?"

"Well, she was with you for two days. You said how she used most of her magic to fight off those minion thingys. And not to mention to heal your injuries from the Phantom dude."

"Yes I know that. Thank you for the reminder." Britain says bitterly toward America.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up again to be mean." Britain rolls his eyes at the American.

"Just continue, _git_."

"Okay! Well then she went with France the next day, and came back two days later. She most likely used her magic to fight the minions once again, and healed France and/or her own injuries."

"Your point being what exactly?"

"My point is that even though she's the Reader and has magic powers, she's still human. She needs rest as much as a regular human does! You don't want her passing out or getting sick due to exhaustion, don't you?"

"Well of course not! What kind of gentleman would I be if I let that happen? Especially to a young woman like Hope?"

"Exactly! So?"

"So I'll give her the day off."

"No way! That's not long enough!"

"And why not?"

"Because she deserves more than just one day off after all she's done for us! She saved our lives! And she's haven't asked for one thing in return. She earns more than just a day." Britain looks at America in total shock. America actually made a sound, logical argument against him. And it adds insult to injury as Britain realizes that he's right, and actually won in the argument. He puts down his newspaper, and sighs.

"Alright! She can have the weekend off. On one condition."

"Name it!"

"You have to do all the household chores for the rest of the weekend." Britain says as he smirks at the younger nation, thinking he'll back out from the proposal. When all the nations agreed to work together to stop this Phantom, they all agreed (Well a good number of them did except Britain, France, Russia, and America) to move into one nation's house to avoid suspicion and questions. The nations all agreed (Again as good number except America and Romano) to make up a chart when it came to doing household chores. When Hope agreed to take on the job as the Reader, she wanted to be included in the chart. Despite their protests, she put her name on the chart anyway, saying how she should share the responsibility with them for as long as she stayed in the house. The chart had a couple of chores which included cleaning the bathroom(s), the living room, the kitchen, washing and drying the dishes, doing the laundry, and other normal chores. America bit his lip. Would he really do ALL the chores for the ENTIRE weekend? Him, the nation all about freedom and capitalism, would work as if he was slave? The great hero America would resort himself to doing household chores? Yes. For Hope's health and well being, he would do it in a heartbeat. America sighs and runs a hand through his dusty blond hair.

"Deal." Britain's eyes widen at his decision.

"What? Are you serious?"

"Yeah. I'm serious."

"I thought heroes don't do chores."

"They don't. I'm doing it because Hope really needs this break. What kind of a hero would I be if she didn't get one because I didn't want to some chores?"

"Is that right? And why is she not asking for this?"

"Because you know how she is. She doesn't ask for much as it is. She'll most likely think that it would be a burden or something on us if we did."

"That does sound like her. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yeah. Hope needs this break desperately, and I will do whatever I can to make sure she gets it."

"May I ask why you are doing this in the first place?" America freezes at the question. A blush slowly starts to creep up on his face, causing Britain to raise one of his bushy eyebrows again.

"Well..um..because heroes always have out for their fellow allies! Plus, she's my citizen, and I always gotta look out for my citizens. I wouldn't be the hero if I didn't. Hahahaha!"

"Right. Well, you better get started on those chores. They won't take too long if you start now. And don't screw anything up." America smiles his usual goofy smile.

"Thanks man! You won't regret it! I'll do an awesome job! Heroes always do awesome jobs!"

"Yeah. Yeah. Just go grocery shopping already. Here's the list. Don't add or subtract anything to that list. And don't get distracted. Just get the groceries and come back here. Got it?" Britain says as he hands him the grocery list. America takes it, and skims through it.

"Okay! Okay! You don't need to lecture me like I'm some kid!"

"Trust me. I do. Now get going!"

"Aye aye captain!" America says as he salutes him. He runs out excitedly with a ridiculous smile on his face. Britain can't help but smile at his ex-colony.

"Nice to see him acting mature and responsible when it comes to something other than himself. Maybe there's hope for that _git_ after all." Britain says softly to himself as he continues to read the newspaper, and drink his tea. Hope comes down the stairs looking refreshed for once still wearing her pajamas.

"It's very unbecoming for a lady to still be dressed in her sleepwear in the afternoon."

"And good morning to you Britain. How did you sleep last night on the chair?" Hope says with a smile on her face as she gets a bowl, spoon, the bottle of milk, and a box of Cocoa Puffs.

"Fine. Thank you for the blanket last night, by the way." She sets them down at the table and pours cereal and milk into her bowl. She looks up from her bowl to face him with a smirk on her face. She raises an eye brow, and puts a hand on her hip as she looks at him.

"Sorry. You shouldn't be thanking me for that. I didn't do it."

"What?"

"Well France and I got back around one last night, and we saw you and America sleeping in the living room. We figured it would a little uncomfortable, not to mention cold for you guys, so we decided to put some blankets over you guys. I was the one who took off America's glasses, and put the blanket over him. France was the one who put your blanket over you." Hope says as she puts the milk and cereal back where they belong. She sits down in the chair next to Britain's and moves her bowl to her seat.

"Are you saying that frog was the one who put that blanket over me last night?"

"Yup. That was all him."

"I can't believe it! Why in the world would the frog do that for me in the first place? We hate each others' guts!"

"Maybe he actually cares about you. Just like how you actually care about him."

"Please! As if I care about that frog! I would be very glad if he fade away from existence. Perverseness and all!"

"Britain, you and I know damn well what you just said is a lie. If France did die, then your rivalry that's been going for centuries with him would come to an end. And I'm fairly certain that you, out of all people, definitely wouldn't want that to happen. Sides, if you didn't care about him, then you wouldn't have waited up for him last night. And you definitely wouldn't have waited up for him so long, that you fell asleep on the chair."

"Your point?"

"My point is that there's a part of you that actually cares about France's well being. No matter how much of a front you put on to make us believe otherwise."

"I do not care about the frog!"

"Sure you don't. I won't tell anyone, Britain. You secret and reputation are safe with me."

"There's nothing to tell, you _git_! I'm telling you that the frog means nothing to me!"

"And don't forget to thank him. It's very unbecoming for a gentleman to not acknowledge someone who did something nice for him."

"I say, you just used my words against me."

"I know. Karma's a bitch, isn't it?" Hope says cheerfully as she starts eating her breakfast. Britain gives her a look, then continues drinking her tea.

"By the way, how was your trip with the frog?"

"Well, it was-"

"Don't talk with your mouth full! I swear, it's ridiculously easy for us to tell that you're a citizen of that _git_ America." Hope rolls her eyes at him reprimanding her table manners as she swallows her breakfast.

"Whateva. I'm gonna give you the short version of our trip. We witnessed an assassination attempt on Napoleon, met him and his wife Josephine, got teased by a group of whorish snobs, got injured the Phantom while saving the Empress, defeated his little minions, ate some awesome French food, and save the Napoleonic Code. And that's all that happened when we went back."

"Wait a minute! Why were you teased?"

"Well, thanks to France's brilliant idea, I was officially known throughout Napoleon's Court as his mistress. A couple of women were saying a couple of nasty things about me."

"What did they say?" Britain says seriously toward her, causing her to jump. His change of tone completely catches her off guard. Hope sighs as she runs her hand through her hair.

"If I tell you what happened, promise me you won't tell the slightest detail to America. I don't want him to know yet. I wanna tell him on my own later."

"Why?"

"Because he's impulsive, and doesn't really think things through. He'll probably want to go after whoever said those things about me! And when he can't find them, then he'll go after France thinking it was his fault. We all know that it wasn't his fault. He didn't know that would happen. He was just trying to protect me by the only way he knew how."

"By using sex as an excuse for you being there?"

"Yeah. I mean let's be honest. Do you really think France would bring a woman with him for anything other than sex?"

"You have a point. This is the frog we're talking about. You two didn't do anything while you were there, right?"

"Of course not! I made his ass sleep on the floor, and I used the gun Germany gave me to enforce it too."

"Good. You better thank Germany for that."

"I will."

"Now will you tell me what happened?"

"Do you promise not to tell America?"

"I promise. Now spill."

"Okay. While we were walking back to our room, some women were talking about how ugly, and unattractive I am. How France could have found a prettier girl if he tried. The only reason why he kept me around was because of my smarts. And how unattractive it is to be educated in the first place." Hope says without much difficulty as she continues eating.

"I'm sorry_ love_."

"Don't be. They were just jealous whores that could never get with France. They were mad about how I didn't have to show off my breasts to get him to befriend me. I could care less what they have to say. Sides, haters gonna hate." Britain chuckles at her comments.

"But that wasn't the part that hit me really hard."

"Oh? And what was?" Hope takes a deep breath, and plays with her hands.

"Hope?"

"This one lady commented about how the color of my skin reminded her of dirt. Her friend replied saying because I am, and that I'm nothing but dirt." Hope says as she looks away from Britain. Britain is in shock by what she told him. Hope stares at the floor, saying nothing.

"_Love_, you know you are anything, but dirt."

"I know."

"You know that didn't sound convincing at all, right?" Hope looks up at him, and bits her bottom lip. She nods while still not saying anything.

"You know, if it makes any consolation, you're taking to heart opinions that came from a group of dead whores who aren't good at anything that's not sexual." Hope can't help but laugh at that comment. She continues eating her cereal as she looks at him. Britain is secretly relived that he actually got her to smile and laugh.

"I guess it was pretty stupid to listen to them in the first place, huh?"

"It was _bloody_ stupid. You are much smarter than that. Taking to heart idle gossip that come from whores."

"Okay. I get it. My lesson is to not to listen to whores, or care what they say about me. Lesson learned. So who's history am I going through today?"

"No one's. I decided to give you the whole weekend off."

"Really? Why?"

"Because you need one, and I think you deserved a few days off."

"I can handle going on a third mission in the row. Honest! I don't wanna slow you down." Hope says as she grabs her dishes and gets up from the chair. _Surprisingly, __America was right. He knows her better than any of us._

"You will slow us down if you get sick, or pass out from exhaustion from not taking a break. Now, you're taking the rest of this weekend off and that's final!" Hope smiles at his witty remark.

"If you say so, Britain. Are you sure it's alright for me to have the weekend off?" Hope asks with a little hesitation. She puts her dishes into the sink, and turns on the faucet.

"Of course I'm sure. And don't worry about the dishes, _love_."

"Why? Isn't it my turn to do the dishes?"

"Nope. I'm quite certain that it's America's turn." Hope turns off the faucet and gives Britain a look of skepticism. When she gives him that look, it is very obvious to him that she definitely has some British blood in her.

"Since when does America do chores?"

"Well, if you give him a motive, he will do anything."

"And that motive would be?"

"Something I don't know."

"Damn. I was hoping I could use it to my advantage sometime."

"Really, _love_? I thought you were better than that?"

"Oh don't act like you're so angelic. You were thinking the same thing I was. And if I didn't know you better, I say the first you would make him do is all the chores." Britain stares at her wide eyed. _How in the bloody hell did she knew that? Was she listening onto our conversation? Does she know? No. I'm in the clear as long as she doesn't find out that's exactly what happened._

"Since I have the weekend off, I'm gonna go and read my History textbooks."

"No you won't. This is your weekend off! Do something fun!"

"But reading my textbooks is fun." Britain rolls her eyes at her innocent answer. _Well, she wouldn't be the Reader if she didn't love to read._

"How about instead of reading your textbooks, you read a fictional book?" Hope thinks about it for a few seconds, and smiles.

"Okay. I'll see you later then." Hope says as she walks out the kitchen, and up the stairs.

"See you _love_." Hope stops at the fourth step, then turns around to give the Brit a hug, and a kiss on his cheek. Britain is startled, surprised by her action.

"Thank you so much for listening, and cheering me up."

"What kind of a gentleman would I be if I didn't? You may have been born and raised on that _git_'s land, but you have British blood running through your veins. We British folks gotta look after one another." Hope lets go and laughs at his comments.

"Of course. Thank you anyway." Hope says as she starts walking up the stairs again.

"Hope _love_?" Hope stops and turns to face him.

"Thank you for all you've done for not only me, but for all of us so far. We really appreciate everything you've done." Hope smiles widely at his sincere thank you.

"I'm glad I could be helpful. Sides, you guys are actually not bad for personifications of countries." Hope says as she giggles, turns and continues to walk up the stairs. She goes into her room, and closes the door. Britain chuckles as he shakes his head, and continues to read his newspaper._ Hope, if you only knew that you were America's motive. I'm sure you would at first laugh thinking it's a joke. Then, as you slowly realize that it's the truth, you would be touched by his actions for you. Maybe having you here will make America the man I know he can be._

Fifteen Minutes Later

"Dude. That was a long trip. Who knew we ate so much food?" America says as he walks down street, having left the supermarket. He's carrying about twenty bags in each arm, which is realistically impossible to do without struggling, or tripping. Then again it is America who's doing it, so it's not really that shocking that he's able to do this quite easily. Anyways, America is walking back to the house with ease, when he stops as he sees something on a wall.

"Hmm? What's this?" America walks closer to the wall to get a better look of the flyer. On the flyer is an image of a Ferris Wheel, various arcade games, and cotton candy. In big words says "CARNIVAL: TODAY ONLY! 4-10 PM."

"Hmmm? A Carnival? That sounds like fun! We should definitely go and have some fun!" America says as he runs back to the house as he realizes it's almost 2:30 with all the groceries is his arms. He finally makes it to the house, and tries to get his keys from his pockets. Again, he somehow manages to do the impossible and get his keys to unlock and open the door. He walks in with all the groceries, and closes the door with his foot. In the living room, Hope is sitting on the couch. She's typing away on her laptop with her headphones in her ears. She doesn't hear America come in because the music's she playing is so loud.

"Hey Hope!" America says cheerfully, but doesn't receive any response from the teenager.

"Hope dude!" He still receives no answer from her. He sets all the bags on the kitchen table, and walks into the living room to figure out why she's not answering him. He realizes she's playing music so loud, that she can't hear him. He walks toward her, and taps her on the shoulder. She looks up when she feels the tap. When she sees America, she jumps and screams, being startled. Her headphones fly out of her ears.

"Hope, calm down! It's me! You okay?" America grabs her shoulders, and looks her directly at her. Hope sighs in relief that it's a familiar face, and not some robber.

"Yeah. Sorry about that. You scared the crap out of me."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to."

"It's alright. Did you just get back?"

"Yup!"

"Where have you been this whole time?"

"I went grocery shopping." Hope widens her eyes and slightly opens her mouth in shock.

"You went grocery shopping?"

"Yeah."

"You, America, went grocery shopping?"

"Yeah." Hope closes her laptop, and sets on the couch. She gets up, and slowly walk toward America. She slightly goes on her toes, and puts her hand on his forehead. America rolls his eyes at her action.

"Hope, I'm not sick."

"It's either that or the real America got abducted by aliens, and they replaced him with this replica that is absolutely nothing like the original."

"Tony would never do that to me!"

"Tony? Who's Tony?"

"My best friend from outer space!" Hope takes her hand off his forehead, and looks at him skeptically while raising an eyebrow. She opens her mouth to say something, but closes it. _I'm surrounded by personifications of countries. I shouldn't question their logic, no matter how much sense it doesn't make._

"Why did you go grocery shopping? Was it your turn?" America freezes at her question. _So Britain didn't tell her. I guess it's better this way. She'll most likely get mad at Britain and me for doing this behind her back._

"Yeah! It was my turn! And heroes always do their turns! Hahahaha!" America says as he walks into the kitchen, and starts putting food away. Hope follows him and is shocked by how many bags are on the table.

"Do you need any help putting them away?" Hope asks sincerely as she watches him start to put the groceries away.

"Nah, I got it. Sides, it's my turn."

"That may be true, but doesn't mean you can't ask for help." Hope says as she walks into the kitchen. She starts taking out food from the bags, and begin putting them away.

"You don't have to that. I mean, don't you have to go somewhere today?"

"First off, I want to help you. And secondly, no I don't. Britain gave me the whole weekend off."

"He did? Why?" America says with a goofy smile on his face as he puts the ice cream in the freezer.

"He didn't want me to get sick or pass out from exhaustion if I went on a mission for the third time in a row. I told him I could handle it, but he wouldn't hear of it. In the end, he forced me to take the weekend off. Isn't that sad? When you're taking a break by force, and not by choice." Hope says as she laughs at it. America chuckles as well, but is glad she's taking it well. Fifteen minutes later, Hope and America are finished putting away all the groceries. Only one bag remains on the table.

"Hey. What's this bag on the table?"

"Oh! That's for you. I was thinking about you and figured you would need this soon." Hope smiles at him as she rushes into the bag. She opens it excitedly, but freezes, and sweat drops as she sees what's inside.

"You bought me...a pack of pads." She says as she looks up at him with a raised eyebrow. _This is what he got me when he was thinking about me? What the hell?_

"Yeah. I uh heard that uh once a month you um get your monthly friend, so I uh bought you some just in case. Some women were uh nice enough to um help me choose." America says awkwardly as he's blushing a crimson color. Hope tries very hard not to laugh as she blushes. _Wow this got really awkward really quickly. _She continues to looks into the bag to find a small bottle of pills.

"You bought me pain relief medicine too."

"Well, some of the women said the cramps were really bad, and they said that one works the best so.." America says shyly as he looks away from her, completely embarrassed by the whole thing. Hope puts the bottle back in the bag, and slowly walks to America.

"America?" Hope asks very softly, causing him to look up at her. She smiles at him.

"Despite the fact that this is very, very, very awkward, it was very sweet of you to go through all that trouble for me. I know how embarrassing it must have been for you. I really appreciate you doing that for me. Thank you so much." Hope says sincerely toward him, and gives a very big hug. America blushes as he hugs her back.

"It's no problem! Heroes always have to help out those in need. And I'm the hero!" Hope chuckles at his response as they finally get out of their hug.

"You certainly are. I'll just take this to my room, so no one sees it and asks any embarrassing questions." Hope says as she walks back to the table, grabs the bag, and goes up the stairs.

"Hey Hope?" Hope turns around to look at America.

"There's this carnival tonight, and I was wondering if you would like to go with me, and the rest of the guys of course." America says, adding the last part quickly while blushing. Hope's face lights up with elation at the mention of carnival.

"Of course! I would love to go! I always wanted to go to a carnival! What time does it start?"

"It starts at 4."

"So it's about three now. I'm gonna get dressed."

"Cool! I'll go ask anyone I see."

"Sure. I'll see you later."

"Yeah." Hope smiles one more time then runs up the stairs happily. American mutters a "yes!" and runs out as fast as he can to find anyone, even Russia.

While America is outside, Hope is walking back to her room, but sees something sparkling in Britain's room. She slowly walks toward Britain's room, and slowly and quietly opens his door. Her eyes widen and her jaw drops open as much as it can. She sees colorful circles surrounding Britain, and he doesn't seem to mind.

"What the hell?" Hope narrows her eyes, and sees little colorful creatures with wings attached to their backs all surrounding him, and talking to him. Britain is laughing and talking to them back as if nothing's wrong. Hope takes a few steps, and keeps walking. She runs her hair through her hairs and nervously plays with her fingers.

"I know I said I wouldn't question the logic around here, but there are some things I just can't let go! Especially after seeing something like that!"

"Hope, who are you talking to?" Hope screams and jumps, startled by Britain's voice. She turns around to see Britain looking at her oddly.

"Are you alright, _love_? You look frightened for some reason."

"I saw colored people in your room."

"What?"

"I mean I saw these colorful creatures with wings flying all around you! At first I thought I was going crazy, but America has an alien friend named Tony, so what the hell! Those things can be real without any explanation whatsoever too!"

"Wait. You saw the fairies just now?"

"That's what those things were? Fairies?" Britain nods at her seriously, and gives her a hug.

"Wait what-"

"Finally! Someone else who can see them like me!"

"So I'm not going crazy?"

"Of course not, you _git_! Many British folks believe in mythical creatures and the supernatural. Your magical abilities must have given you the ability to see them."

"Oh. That explains everything. So would you introduce me to them sometime?"

"Of course, _love_. I'm just glad I'm not the only one anymore."

"Hey! America and I were wondering if you wanted to go to the Carnival they're having today with us? It could be fun!"

"So you took my advice, and decided to do something fun, hmmm?"

"Well, it was America's idea. And I always wanted to go to a carnival. So you wanna come?"

"Of course! When does it start?"

"At four. I'm about to take a shower and get dressed. Would you mind spreading the word for me?"

"Sure thing."

"And one more thing. Everyone needs to dress as casual as they can. No military clothes, or fancy smancy clothing, okay?"

"I understand. I'll tell everyone."

"Thanks Britain." Hope says as she walks back to her room. Britain crosses her arms, and smirks at her. Two fairies, one blue and one pink, fly next to him.

"I told you someone was at the door!"

"You were right, Sparkle. She was."

"She's the Reader you were talking about?"

"Yes she is, Luna."

"She's pretty."

"Yeah. And she seems nice."

"She is. Come on you two. We have more things to discuss." Britain says as he and his fairies friends go back into his room.

A Half An Hour Later

America literally ran all over looking for his fellow nations to ask them if they wanted to go with the carnival. America found the Axis Forces outside together training. Italy wanted to go at the promise of Pasta being there. Japan always wanted to go to a Western carnival, and see what they're like. And Germany came to keep an eye on Italy, and get some beer. After telling them the details, he later found France sunbathing naked. After making a few sexual jokes, America asked if he wanted to come to the carnival as well. France said yes in a heartbeat, wanting to see some beautiful women there. As he ran inside, he found his brother sitting with his polar bear. Of course, he asked his brother if he wanted to go as well. His brother said yes happily, because his brother actually noticed him for once, and even said his name right. He awkwardly walked in on Romano and Spain...playing a game of Twister. Spain was all for going, but Romano flat out said no. With some persuasion from Spain (and a promise of tomatoes), Romano eventually gave in. America found China and Russia sitting in the kitchen. China was feeding his panda while Russia drinking his vodka, and asked (reluctantly) if they wanted to go. Russia said yes with the same sadistic smile on his face. China said yes excitedly and almost instantly.

And that is how and why all the nations are currently waiting in the living room to leave for the Carnival. Actually it's Hope fault since she's still getting ready, and she's the only one who isn't down there yet. As instructed by Britain, they are wearing their casual clothes. Spain is wearing a dark red buttoned up shirt, with his sleeves rolled up, dark blue pants, and black shoes. Romano is wearing a pink button up shirt, tan pants, and black shoes. Russia is wearing dark grey jacket, yellow drawstring top, grey pants and brown gloves with his obvious pink scarf around his neck. Japan is wearing a teal kimono with a dark blue around his waist, and tan sandals on his feet. Italy is wearing a tan shirt, brown pants, and brown shoes. Germany is wearing a black tank top, green pants, and black shoes. France is wearing a white shirt with frilled sleeves and a rose, as well as blue pants, and light brown shoes. China is wearing a black jacket with red-trimmed sleeves, a white shirt, and black trousers and shoes. Canada is wearing a white dress shirt, red tie, tan pants and brown shows. Britain is wearing a Union Jack T-shirt with a red checkered bandana, dark colored pants, and red shoes. America is wearing a teal short sleeved shirt with blue pants, brown shoes, and his brown bomber jacket over his shirt.

"Jeez! What's taking Hope so long? It shouldn't take this long for someone to get ready." America says impatiently as he crosses his arms, and groans.

"Obviously, it takes longer for a woman to get ready than a man. So have some respect and patience for her, you _git_!"

"I can't believe you actually convinced me to go, tomato bastard."

"Awww Lovi. It'll be fun. Just imagine all the tomatoes we get to eat!"

"I'm only going for the tomatoes. I'm not going because you, tomato bastard. Remember that."

"Okie dokie Lovi!"

"This will be fun, _Дa_?"

"Yeah! I can't wait to see what's there, _aru_."

"_Hai_. I hope we arr wirr have arot of fun."

"_Si_! It's going to be _molto divertente _(very fun)! What are you going to do when we get there, Germany?"

"I vill be looking to see if they have beer."

"Typical potato bastard looking for disgusting barbaric beer."

"Be nice Lovi."

"I want go to ze tunnel of _l'amour_. Care to join me,_ Angleterre_?"

"Beat it frog! There's no way I would go anywhere, especially to the tunnel of love with you out of all people!"

"Sorry I took so long. I was having a hard time putting in my contacts." The nations stop conversing and stare at awe as Hope comes down the stairs. She's wearing a purple, short sleeved sundress that ends above her knees, black boots that covers most of her legs, and a black belt around her waist. Her hair is out and falls to her shoulders (her hair still straight from her adventure with France), and is pulled back with a black headband that has a fake black flower on it. She walks into the living room, stops, and smiles at the nations.

"Wow. You guys look really good. I like the outfits."

"You look _molto carina_ (very pretty), _Speranza_! _Ve~_"

"Aww. Thanks Italy. You're so sweet."

"Are you ready to go, _love_?"

"I just have one question before we go. What am I supposed to call you guys at the fair? It would be weird to scream out 'Hey Britain' while we're there."

"A very good question. I was hoping you would ask that. We all have human names. You may call me _Arthur Kirkland_."

"A very fitting name for you. Anyways, what's your name France?"

"_Je_ _m'appelle_(My name is)_ François Bonnefoy_, but I also go by Francis."

"Nice name. I like the name in French better. Alright, Italy Veneziano."

"_Mi chiamo_ _Feliciano Vargas_!_ Ve~_"

"That's adorable, and it fits you so well! Germany?"

"You can just call me _Ludvig_."

"What no last name?" Hope looks at his serious face, causing her to sweat drop.

"Okay. Ludwig it is. Next up is Japan."

"My name is _Honda Kiku_, but you can say _Kiku Honda _if you wourd rike."

"Like the car? Because I really love the Civic. I always wanted one. They're so nice, capable, have great mileage, and-"

"Stop talking about cars, and focus_ love_!"

"Right. Sorry! Okay Spain, you're up."

"_Yo soy_ _Antonio Fernández Carriedo_." Hope blushes at the way he says with his name in perfect Spanish.

"Very fitting, and very sexy if I may add. Alright Italy Romano. What's yours?"

"It's _Lovino Vargas_."

"Very fitting for you as well. So that's why Spain calls you Lovi! I always thought it was just a cute, little pet name he gave you." Romano gives her a look, and Hope laughs nervously at his reaction.

"Moving on, Russia."

"I am called _Ivan Braginski_. You will remember that, _Дa_?"

"Of course I will. China?"

"My name is _Wang Yao_, but you say _Yao Wang_, right Hope _aru_?"

"That I do. Canada, would you be so kind, and tell me yours?."

"_Oui_. My name is _Matthieu Williams_, but calling me Matthew is fine."

"Got it. And last but certainly not least is America." Hope says as she finishes typing the ten names on her phone with the respected country. Hope then looks up at America, who hasn't said much since she came down the stairs, but is still staring at her.

"America?"

"Hmm?" America says as he finally gets out his little trance.

"I would like to know your human name, if that's alright with you."

"Oh sure. Sure! It's Jones. _Alfred F. Jones_."

"Okay. I'm done! Great name by the way. Now let's get a move on!" Hope says as she picks up her black purse, puts her phone into it, and walks out of the house, with the nations in tow.

Carnival Grounds: Present Day, 2012, 4:15 P.M.

The walk to the carnival was not an easy one for the group, since they got lost twice before finally arriving. They all bought a ticket, except for Hope, since America bought her ticket for her. When he first offered to buy hers, she refused. The argument of the who would buy the ticket made a scene in the line, and lasted for about five minutes. After being screamed at by Britain, Hope finally gave in, and let him buy her ticket. As of now, the group is standing near the entrance.

"Before we go our separate ways, I think it's best we all have a partner with them, so we each have someone for whatever reason." Arthur says very seriously toward the group. Most of the members nod their heads in agreement at the idea.

"_Ja_. I agree. Ve can split up into groups of two based on vhere ve vant to go here."

"Ludwig! I wanna go to the petting zoo! _Ve~_"

"As do I. I'rr be with Fericiano then."

"Fine, potato bastard. I'll listen, but only this one time. I want to see the tomatoes."

"Then I will go with Lovi then!" Spain says very cheerfully as he hugs him. Romano rolls his eyes at his enthusiasm and his hug.

"I would like to see what kind of food they have here."

"Same! I'll go with Matthew then, _aru_."

"I vant to look for beer."

"I want to look for vodka. We go together, _Дa_?" Germany nods his head in agreement.

"I would like to check the attractions, like the maze of mirrors and the sort."

"As do I _mon am_i! We should go together zen, _non_?" France as he walks toward Britain, and puts an arm around him.

"Fine! Lord knows what would happen if you went by yourself." Britain says as he crosses his arms, and looks away from him.

"But wait. I armost forgot. What about Arfred_-san_ and Hope_-san_?" Japan says suddenly causing all eyes to look at them. France smirks mischievously.

"Zat is easy! _Amérique _will just 'ave to go with _ Espérance_. I am sure ze two of you don't mind going together _non_?"

"I don't have a problem with it. Hope?" America says as he looks at her. Hope looks at him, then the rest of the group.

"I don't mind either."

"Zen it's settled! Now zat is finished, I zink we need a specific time and place for us to meet back again."

"For once the frog is right. We will meet in front of the purple tent by 9:15. That gives us plenty of time to look around. Agreed?"

"Agreed." The group says simultaneously. The team breaks into their groups of two, and go their separate ways, except for Hope and America, who awkwardly stand there without saying a word to each other.

"So where would you like to go, Hope?" America says trying to break the ice. Hope slightly jumps, startled by his voice. She shyly plays with her purse strap, and looks away.

"Well, I would like to check out the games, and possibly the rides."

"Cool! Same here! Shall we?" America says as he holds out his arm for her. She looks at his hand, then at him. She smiles, as takes his arm, and walk toward the games.

Feliciano and Kiku (Italy Veneziano and Japan)

"Isn't this great, Kiku? We're surrounded by cute little _cuccioli di animali_(baby animals)! _Ve~_" Italy says as he pets the baby goats.

"_Hai_. They are quite cute. Especially the baby sheep." Japan says as he feeds the baby sheep, and pets it.

"_Si_! They are all so cute and cuddly! Hey, do you think we can take them home with us?"

"I doubt it. I don't think the rest of the group would rike the idea of having a petting zoo at our house."

"Awww." Italy says sadly as he turns away. His eyes become wide, and he starts to scream and runs away.

"GEEEEEEEERMANNNNNNNNY!" Italy screams as he runs away.

"Fericiano wait! We need to stick together!" Japan says as he runs after him.

"Mommy, that man was weird for being scared of a bunny."

"That's not nice honey."

"But it's true. He needs to man up, and stop being afraid of the bunny." The little girl says to her mother as she goes into the petting zoo. The mother nods in agreement with what her daughter, but forgets about them, and just watches her daughter play with the petting zoo animals.

Lovino and Antonio (Italy Romano and Spain)

"Lovi! Slow down!"

"Shut it Antonio! I came here to see the tomatoes, and I'm damn sure am not leaving without seeing at least one!" Romano says angrily toward Spain. At the moment, he's walking at a very pace to find his precious tomatoes. Spain is tying very hard to keep up with his pace. Since this is Italy (well South Italy to be exact), who are known for being very very fast runners, you know how much of a hard time he's having.

"Lovi, you really should let up on the cursing. There are children here!"

"I'll stop cursing when I get my damn tomatoes." Lovino says as he keeps walking. He suddenly stops, causing Spain to bump into him. Lovino stares at what's in front of him not

"Why did you stop so suddenly, Lovi?" Spain says, but is speechless when he looks in the same direction Romano is looking at. There they were in many many rows.

"Tomatoes!" Spain and Romano scream out happily like kids in a candy store. They run toward the tomatoes as fast as their legs could carry them, eyes lit with delight as they see their favorite vegetable (or is it a fruit?).

Matthew and Yao (Canada and China)

"Wow! They sure have a lot of food here. What would like to try first, Yao?"

"I don't know,_ aru_! There's so many choices! _Aiyah_!"

"What? What's wrong?"

"Look at that monstrosity they call Chinese food! That is not Chinese food, _aru_!"

"Well it's probably not-hey! Where are you going!" Canada says as he sees China marching up to the chefs.

"To teach these people what real Chinese food is,_ aru_!"

"But we have to stay together! Yao!" China ignores him and continues walking to the cooking area. He starts cooking some of his delicious Chinese food, which really brings in crowds. Canada stands in the same position completely shocked at how so quickly crowds began to form.

"Well, he does love to cook. And his cooking is amazing, so I shouldn't be too surprised." Canada says softly to himself as he chuckles, and continues watching China do what he loves.

Ludwig and Ivan (Germany and Russia)

"You found the alcohol yet?"

"_нет_. Ahh! Is it there!" Russia exclaims happily as he sees the stand that sells alcohol. They walk toward the stand.

"Excuse me, do you sell German beer?"

"Indeed we do sir! Would you like a cup?"

"_Ja_." The server serves is him cup of German beer. Germany takes the cup, and drinks with a happy sigh.

"You sell Russian vodka, _Дa_?"

"Yes we do! Would you like a cup?"

"_нет. _You give me whole bottle, _Дa_?" Russia says as his purple-pinkish aura starts to surround him. The server just nods, entirely speechless at the tall scary looking Russian with the creepy smile on his face. He shakily hands the man the bottle of vodka.

"_Cпасибо_!"(Thank you!) Germany and Russia walk away, satisfied with their thirst for alcohol. The poor server is frightened and may need a new job, and a possibly new pair of pants.

Arthur and Francis (Britain and France)

"You stupid frog! You got us lost!"

"_Excusez-moi_! I did not get us lost! You did! You just 'ad to go back for your stupid scarf!"

"It's a bandana you _git_, and it's special to me! You were supposed to be keep track you _bloody wanker_! This is why I should have never come with you! Something bad always happen when the two of us are together!" If you haven't realized by now, France and Britain are arguing (as usual). The European duo decided to check out the Maze of Mirrors. One the way through the maze, Britain dropped his bandana. So they went back to retrieve it. He apparently told France to keep track of where they went, but obviously that didn't work out very well because they're lost.

"Zat's because you are so damn stubborn!"

"I'm stubborn! Well, you're so damn useless! You couldn't even do one thing right!"

"I am not useless! I can cook a meal zat won't make people sick! I bet even _Espérance_ wouldn't eat your cooking!"

"You take that back! My cooking is delicious! And Hope would certainly eat it! We British folks have great taste in food!"

"Zat is an absolute lie! You are only useful when it concerns yourself or _Amérique_. You wouldn't be 'ere with ze rest of us if you or 'im weren't in danger!" Britain's eyes widen, and he is suddenly silent.

"That's not true." He says softly.

"Of course it is! If zis 'ad nothing to do with you or 'im, zen zere is no doubt in my mind you wouldn't be 'ere!"

"Have you ever considered for once in your perverted, pathetic life that I do things not only because of myself and my ex-colony's well being! Do you honestly think that I'm only here for myself and America? Did you ever thought that I had more than one reason for coming here, and giving my assistance? Maybe, I actually didn't want to see my fellow nations, even those I don't like very much, to be wiped from history? Maybe I didn't want those citizens to become slaves under a cruel emperor who cares about himself? Maybe I wanted to make sure we chose the right person for the job of the Reader? Maybe I wanted to make sure she was actually capable of handling not only herself, but this whole situation? Have you ever considered that frog? No! Because you're too wrapped in your flamboyant, perverse self to even notice that there's more to me than meets the _bloody_ eye!" Britain screams at the Frenchman, surprising him completely.

"_Angleterre_-"

"Save it! I don't even know why I waited up for you when you left with Hope."

"You waited up for me. I thought you were there for _ Espérance_?"

"Of course not! America was there for her. I was a bit afraid I wasn't going to see you again, so I waited up with him to make sure you would come back. But you know what? Right now, I would be glad if you was erased from existence!"

"_Angleterre_, I'm touched. I waited up for you too."

"What? When?"

"When you left with _Espérance_ four days ago. I waited up with _Amérique _to make sure you two came back safely.

"Why?"

"I was afraid I would lose the person I love to argue with_. Merci Angleterre_."

"For what frog?"

"For showing zat you actually care about me."

"Oh hush up! This doesn't change a thing between us. I still hate you."

"_Oui_. And I 'ate you too. Look! Zere's ze exit!" France says as he walks toward it.

"France?" France stops and looks back at him.

"Thanks for the blanket, frog." France smiles as they walk toward the exit side by side.

"_De rien Angleterre. De rien._"

Alfred and Hope (America and The Reader)

"Wow. This place is awesome! There's so many games. I don't know which one to play first!" Hope says excitedly as she looks at the many different carnival games. America is walks next to her with a smile on his face as he watches her being so excited for her first time being at a carnival.

"Me neither. Hey! There's a strength tester! Let's try that one!"

"Sure. Lead the way, Al."

"What?"

"Al is a nickname for Alfred. Sorry. If you don't like it, I'll just keep calling you Alfred."

"Al, huh? I like it! You can call me either one. I don't care. Now come on! Let's go the strength tester!" America says as he grabs her hand, and drags her to the machine.

"Awww. That is an adorable stuffed animal." Hope says as she looks at a stuffed animal that's a white dog with brown spots.

"Forget about getting the dog miss. There's no way you can ring that bell." Hope and America look toward the operator, who looks to be around his late eighties, early nineties.

"And why is that, sir?"

"Because no has ever been able to ring that bell in fifty years, and I doubt someone like yourself will be able to ring it?"

"What exactly do you mean by that?"

"I don't mean it in a bad way, sweetheart. I mean that a frail young woman like yourself wouldn't be able to do it."

"Well excuse me-"

"Hope, let me try this! I can do it!"

"You're way too skinny, young man. You look like you barely have any muscle in your body. You won't be able to do it either."

"Al, are you sure about this? Maybe we should just go."

"No way! Trust me, Hope. I got this!"

"You really think you can do it huh, Sonny?"

"Hahahaha! Watch me prove you wrong." America says with a cocky tone as he grabs the hammer. He slams it onto the board. The puck quickly rises to the top, hits the bell, then it goes down to it's original place. The operator's eyes widen in shock and awe. Hope smiles and claps for America.

"You did it Al! You won!"

"I don't believe it!"

"Told you I can do it. Now, I think you owe us a prize, and an apology."

"I apologize sir for my comments toward you."

"Don't forget to apologize to the lady."

"I am very sorry about the words I said to you earlier, miss. Now, please pick your prize and leave."

"Go and grab your dog, Hope."

"What? Really?"

"Of course! You really wanted it, so go get it." Hope smiles widely as she goes to the prizes, and picks up the stuffed dog off the shelf. She walks back toward America, and hugs the dog extremely tight.

"So where to next?"

"Why not the Ferris Wheel? We can get a great view of the whole carnival."

"That's a great idea! Let's go!" America says as he grabs her hand and drags her toward the Ferris Wheel. The operator chuckles at the two of them.

"What an odd, but lovely couple." America and Hope make it on the Ferris Wheel. A few minutes later, they are sitting in a passenger car with a great view of the lot.

"This is really a great view."

"Yeah. The moon is so big! And we were the first on it."

"Yes in 1962 with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin."

"Wow. You know a lot when it comes to History."

"I've been a lot of history books since I was a little girl. They were my solace growing up." Hope says as she looks away sadly. She starts to shiver, and tightens the grip on her stuffed dog.

"Hope? Are you cold?" America says worriedly toward her.

"Just a little bit. I was so excited to go to the carnival today that I stupidly forgot to bring a jacket. I'll be fine. Honest." Hope says as she unintentionally shivers again. She feels something covering her shoulders. She looks around to find a jacket less America wrapping his bomber jacket around her.

"Al, what are you doing? This is your jacket."

"Dude, you need it more than I do. There's no way you're getting sick on my watch!"

"But what about you? Won't you get a cold?'

"Heroes never get sick!" Hope chuckles at his enthusiasm and proclamation.

"Thank you Alfred. Not just for the jacket, but for the carnival, the dog, everything. I really owe you for all of this."

"Dude, I'm the hero! A hero always looks out for his friends. Sides, after all you've done for us, you're totally worth it." Hope starts to blush at his compliment. She lays her head on his shoulder as they continue to watch the view.

"Thanks. So are you."

Carnival Grounds: Fortune Teller's Tent, Present Day, 2012,9:20 P.M

By 9:20, most of the groups are back by the designated time with some differences. Romano and Spain are carrying a crate filed with Tomatoes each. Japan is comforting a sniffling Italy after his traumatic experience with the bunny from the Petting Zoo. Germany and Russia are drinking more alcohol. Britain and France, who got out the maze around 9, are arguing over who's Henna tattoo is cooler. China is wearing a chef's hat and apron. And Canada is carrying a red T-shirt in his hands.

"Where in the bloody can those two _gits_ be? The carnival closes in 40 minutes!"

"Do not worry about zem Arzur. I'm sure zey are on zeir way right zis instant!"

"Hey guys! Sorry we're late!" America screams as he and Hope run toward the group. America is missing his beloved bomber jacket. Hope is wearing his jacket, and carrying a stuffed dog.

"And why are you two late?"

"The Ferris Wheel kinda broke down, so we were stuck on it for a couple of minutes until they fixed it." Hope explains as she catches her breath.

"_Speranza bella_! Why are you wearing Alfred's jacket?" Italy says to her unexpectedly. All eyes are turned to her as the other nations realize that America is missing his jacket, and Hope is wearing it.

"Oh. I was starting to get cold, so Al offered me his jacket. I said no, but he kept insisting until I put it on. So I did, and that's pretty much it." France smirks at America as he looks at him. Britain raises an eyebrow toward the two Americans. _Something's going on between those two, and I intend on finding out what._

"Hey, can we go inside the fortune teller, and get our fortunes told?" Hope says as she tries to change the subject and get the attention off of her.

"No way, dude! Those things aren't even real!"

"They are so you_ git_!"

"Why not just do it for fun? Who cares if they're real or not? I mean, there's no harm in trying, right?"

"_La mademoiselle_ 'as a point. I say we do it."

"_Hai_. I agree with Francis."

"Me too! _Ve~_. What about you Ludwig?"

"_Ja_. It affect us that much if ve do."

"_Si_! I agree! What about you Lovi?"

"Whatever tomato bastard."

"I say we go. It will be harmless, _Дa_?"

"I wanna do it too, _aru_!"

"_Oui_. Let's do it."

"Even Canada wants to do it! C'mon Al. What do you say?"

"Fine. I mean they're not going to be true, or anything." The group stands in line patiently for their fortune to be told. Each nation goes in, and comes out a few minutes with a strange look on their face, as if they were told something that shocked them to the core. Hope decided to go last, and finally got her chance. After Britain leaves the tent with the same look on her face, Hope hesitantly enters the tent. In it is a table with a crystal ball on it. Behind the ball, is a blond haired women wearing purple colored robes.

"Ah. A woman for a change. Tell me, is there anymore, or are you the last one?"

"I'm the last one ma'am."

"Excellent. I get the best for last. Have a seat child, and I will tell you your fortune." Hope slowly walks to the chair, and sits down in the chair. The fortune teller moves her hands around the ball, and it starts to glow a purple color.

"You are a special young woman with knowledge, kindness, and sense of justice that are beyond your years. However, you still have a past that you do not wish to revisit. You will past will be brought into the light. How is it brought to the light is up to you. But, I assure you, your friends will be very accepting of you, past and all. After all, the past makes the person who they are today. That's all I see." Hope takes a couple of deep breath before thanking the Teller. She gets up from the chair, and walks out of the tent. She smiles at the nations so she'll avoid any suspicion and unwanted questions from them. They all walk back home, and go to bed, tired out by today's events.

But the moment of peace and relaxation would not last long for our heroes.

**_And that's chapter 7! What did the Fortune Teller mean by Hope's fortune? What were the nations' fortunes? What will happen that would interrupt the moment of peace and relaxation? Most of these questions will be answered in the next chapter of "The Reader". Until then!_**

**_~Hopefaith2_**


	8. Hope's Sunday Off: Italy & His Lost Love

**_Hey guys! This is Hope here bringing you another chapter of the The Reader! This one is going to be split into three or four parts, which means there will be a total of three or four chapters based on this one scenario alone. Forgive me if I mess up on any of the words that are in a different language. I'm only familiar with Spanish. This is not really an official mission since she doesn't go through, but they do get a blast from the past, so in the end it will be. I'm not gonna spoil anything, but I feel like there will be a mob for my head at the end of this chapter. I'm not gonna say why. Just read and find out. I don't own anything except myself lol. So, read and review! Don't come to my house in large mobs after reading this. Fangirls are very very scary, and I would like to live to graduate college. So, without further ado, I present to you, my loyal readers, chapter 8. Enjoy! _**

******Subplot Three: Hope's Sunday Off: Italy & His Lost Love**

******Part 1: Italy Discovers The Heartbreaking Truth**_**  
**_

World Conference Room/Living Room: Present Day, 2012

_First Person P.O.V: Hope  
_

It's about 3:30 in the afternoon on Sunday. We all had so much fun at the carnival yesterday that we were wiped out by the time we got back to the house. Part of me wanted to know what the guys' fortunes were. But, if I do ask them, then they'll ask for mine, and I'm not ready to share it yet. At the moment everyone is off doing their own things. France is outside sunbathing naked (again). Britain is in his room, reading a book, and talking to his fairies friends. America is playing catch with his brother Canada (which is more like target practice than actual catch). Japan is reading his manga. Germany is training as usual. Russia and China are sitting outside, talking. Italy is taking his 3 o clock _siesta_, which is Italian for nap. And Spain and Romano are eating tomatoes in Spain's room. Everyone is enjoying themselves by doing what they love happily.

Well, everyone except me that is.

"This is hopeless." I say as I look through my World History textbook. You're probably asking why I said that. Well, I get the great pleasure of writing a 3 paged paper about the stupid Holy Roman Empire that's due Friday. I know, you're probably asking why I'm doing it now. Because knowing Britain, he's gonna put me on missions back to back, so I won't have any time for this. And the best part of this whole thing is that I have yet to start it. I completely forgot about it till now because of the whole Reader business! Lucky me, right? I groan in irritation once again as I look through the pages for the umpteenth time, hoping to find something that is beneficial to the topic of my paper at hand. I find absolutely nothing (again). I angrily slam my textbook closed, and walk out of the World Conference room. I head down to the kitchen, and get an apple. I slam the refrigerator door closed. I then walk to the couch and sit on it while sulking angrily. Spain comes down the stairs a few minutes later. Most likely because he heard me slamming everything. I ignore him and continue to munch on my apple as I let off steam from this stupid paper.

"_Buenos días Esperanza_! You look _muy bonita_ today." I smile a little bit at his compliment. I'm wearing a simple blue sundress, and a pair of blue converse sneakers. My dark pink glasses are on my face because I was too lazy to put on my contacts. My hair is in a ponytail, so it won't get in the way while I'm working.

"Thanks, but there's nothing _bueno_ about it." I say bitterly as I continue to eat my apple. Stupid happy Spaniard rubbing his happiness in my face. Spain blinks at my response, and tilts his head sideways.

"Is something wrong? You seem very angry."

"No shit Sherlock. How did you ever come up with that?" I say sarcastically angry as I roll my eyes, and keep eating my apple.

"Well, I heard someone stomping down the stairs, then slamming doors. When I came down the stairs, I saw you sitting on the couch with an angry look on your face. That's how I came up with it." I almost choke on my apple. I look at him completely shocked. Oh god! He's one of those people that can't detect sarcasm. My sarcastic and witty remarks won't work on him. Damn. He's lucky he's cute and has a nice ass. DAT ASS. I sigh as I run my hand through my hair. When I get angry, I act kinda bitchy and take my anger on anyone who comes to me first. Unfortunately, Spain is the victim of my bitchiness this time, but he didn't even realize it. That kinda made me feel bad for yelling at him in the first place.

"I'm really sorry, Spain. I'm just frustrated right now."

"¿_Te sientes frustrado_? ¿_Por qué_? (You're feeling frustrated? Why?)"

"I'm glad you asked. Because of this Reader job I signed up for, I totally forgot about my paper for World History, and it's due Friday. It wouldn't be so bad except for the fact that I have no idea where to start with it! And I can't do it later because Britain will be putting me on missions throughout the week!"

"Calm down, _Esperanza_. Now tell Boss Spain what this paper of yours is about. Maybe I can help you with it."

"Okay. So in World History, we're learning about the Holy Roman Empire. My professor assigned each of us one certain topic about it, and we have to write a 3 page paper explaining it using info from our textbooks and other resources. It seems easy enough, but I really don't know how to approach it, and I don't have any info from my textbook to use for my topic. And I tried looking at other places too, but I found nothing about it. I don't know what else to do."

"Say no more! I know just the people that can help you out! _V__en conmigo s__eñorita_ (Come with me miss)!" Spain says as he grabs my hand, and leads me back to the World Conference room (dropping my apple in the process). Thankfully, my books and papers still remain in the same place where I left them. Spain runs to my chair and pulls it out for me. How sweet of him! I smile and say my thanks as I sat down.

"If you don't mind waiting for a few minutes, I'll be back with _ayuda _(help)."

"_Muchas gracias España _(Thank you very much Spain)."

"_De nada, Esperanza _(You're welcome, Hope)." Spain says with the same smile on his face. He walks out the room. As he walks, I decide to use this opportunity to look at his sexy ass again. I cannot be the only one who thinks he has a great ass, am I right ladies?

"He really does have a great ass. Focus Hope! You're here to save history, not talk about how great Spain's ass look. How they expect an eighteen year old girl to focus on saving the world when living with 11 sexy men 24/7 is beyond me." I say as I chuckle to myself. A few minutes later, Spain reenters the room with two more people. One is France (with clothes on thankfully), which makes me raise an eyebrow at this, and a young man I've never met before. The man has violet eyes and somewhat wavy brown hair(with a wild strand of hair that stays up), and a mole on his face. He is wearing glasses, a long navy blue coat with a white jabot (which is basically an ascot with ruffles), and black pants. He looked like a nobleman, a very high and good looking nobleman. They slowly make their way toward me. I stand up when they approach me to be respectful and courteous to them.

"_Esperanza_, this is _mi amigo, Señor Austria_. Austria, this is _Esperanza Marianna Boyd_. She is _la lectora_ I've been telling you about."

"It's a very nice to meet you, Mister Austria. You can just call me Hope." I say sincerely as I hold my hand out for him to shake. Surprisingly, Austria takes my hand, and bows to me. That's right, bows. I can't believe it either.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, _fräulein Hoffnung _(miss Hope), and may I say _Spanien__'__s_ (Spain) description of you do you no _Gerechtigkeit_ (Justice). You are _schöner_ (more lovely) dan vords could possibly describe you." Austria says softly, as he brings my hand to his lips. I can feel the blush creeping on my face. I've never had anyone do that to me before (except France, but he flirts with anything that moves, so that doesn't really count). As he gently lets my hand go, I stupidly start to giggle like a school girl. I feel so embarrassed.

"You are very sweet. Thank you for coming out here to help me."

"It iz no problem, _fräulein Hoffnung_. Anyding to help out de _Lektüre _(Reader)."

"_Esperanza_, why don't you tell them the reason why I brought them here?"

"Of course. Well I have to write a paper about a certain aspect of the Holy Roman Empire."

"Which aspect is it about _mademoiselle Espérance?_" I pick up my paper with my assignment on it, and read the topic word for word.

"The causes and effects of the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire. I already know about the effects since they're really obvious. I just need the causes." France and Austria's eyes widen at my answer. They turn away from me, not saying a word. Is there something there I miss here? I didn't say something I wasn't supposed to, did I? I'm kinda scared to ask them, but I find the courage and the nerve to say it.

"I'm sorry. Did I say something wrong?"

"_Non! Non! Espérance_, you said nothing wrong! 'onest _mademoiselle_! You are perfectly fine."

"_Ja. Frankreich_ (France) is right. Shall ve get started now, _fräulein_ Hope?" I blush at the way Austria says my name. His accent is so hot. I admit that I'm a sucker for accents. The guys all wait for me to sit in the chair. Aren't they such nice guys? I smile at them as a sign of thanks and I sit in my seat. They sit down a couple of minutes later. I begin to open my textbook, and point out the information that is in it to the guys.

_Third Person P.O.V: Omniscient  
_

Italy woke up from his siesta at 4 o clock sharp. As usual, he began looking for Germany and Japan while holding onto his kitten (who is apparently a female named Pookie). As usual, he got distracted by thinking about Pasta, and didn't watch where he was going. Because of that, he found himself lost in the mansion (again).

"Oh no! I'm lost again! Germany! Japan! Save me!" Italy says as he wails and runs around the house hoping to find a familiar voice.

"Guys? Can we go through all the information you guys gave me again? I don't wanna miss, or mix anything up."

"_Claro!_ _Es una_ _buena idea Esperanza! _(Of course! That's a good idea, Hope!)"

"_Oui_. I would never forgive myself if I cause 'er to get such a _mauvaise note _(bad grade) on 'er paper."

"Are you guys sure? I don't want to waste anymore of your time."

"Nonsense! Ve are all glad to help as much you can for as long as you need it. Now, _fahren Sie bitte fort_ (please continue) _fräulein Hoffnung_."

"Okay. Here's all I have so far: Not a highly centralized state, divided into dozens(eventually hundreds) of individual entities, some areas ruled directly by the Emperor, failure to unify, weak constitution, Protestant Reformation (Martin Luther and 95 Theses) which caused the division over religion, Schmalkaldic Wars, Peace of Augsburg, Thirty Years War, Peace of Westphalia, and Napoleonic Wars. Did I forget any causes?"

"No. It seems like you got everything, _Esperanza_."

"_Oui_. You can do your _essai _with _confiance. _(essay; confidence) Oh_ honhonhonhon_~"

"I guess I can. Thanks a lot guys. I owe you one."

"_Nein_! Ve are all glad to help you, _fräulein Hoffnung_."

"That's_ Speranza bella's_ voice! And big brother Austria, France, and Spain's in there too! They know how to get out of here Pookie!" Italy says happily to his kitty, who meows in response. He's about to open the door, when he suddenly hears Hope talking again.

"I can't believe it took all that to kill off the Holy Roman Empire." Italy stops moving. His blood runs cold, and his amber eyes open in shock at the words that came out of Hope's mouth.

"What? Kill off Holy Rome? What does she mean by that?"

"I mean, a few of these problem would usually do a country in, but this one like had more than ten. I'm actually surprised it managed to live as long as it did before it finally did crumbled. You guys knew the HRE, right?"

"Holy Rome...is dead? But, he promised me that we would see each other after the war was over. He can't be..."

"_Oui._ We all knew 'im. In fact, Austria was ze one who lived with 'im!"

"That's right. I almost forgot that you were in charge, and part of the House of Habsburg. What was he like?"

"He vas a strong young man. And very smart. I made him study every day. He vas like a student to me."

"_Si_. _Santa de Roma fue un joven muy luchadora_(Holy Rome was a feisty young man). He was a good kid."

"Wow. I completely forgot you were part of the house too, Spain. Sorry."

"It's alright. Don't worry too much about it, _señorita_."

"Thanks. Anyway, I think it's absolutely horrible that he died the way he did by being surrounded by all those problems, and losing in all those wars. Hopefully, no other country will have to go through what he did ever again."

"_Amén_."

"I agree with you, _E__spérance_."

"Big brothers knew he was dead? Why didn't they tell me? How long has he been dead?" Italy whimpers as tears began to fall down his eyes like waterfalls. He starts to tremble, causing the kitty in his arms to look up and meow at him in worry.

"_Ja_. Vould you all like someding to eat? I could vhip up something small, so it von't ruin your tinner."

"Sure. I'm kinda hungry. Spain, France, how about it?"

"_Si_! Austria makes delicious food!"

"Why don't I cook for you all? My food is _très délicieux_ (very delicious)!"

"Because I'm scared you'll feed us something gross like frog's legs, or snails."

"'You actually eat those things, _Francia_?"

"'ey! Zose are considered a delicacy where I live, _E__spérance_!"

"Just like flirting vith eferyding dat moves is considered normal?"

"_Oui,_ you stuffy nobleman!"

"Alright y'all. There's no need start arguing with one another. Let's just get some food. I wanna get this paper out of the way A.S.A.P." Hope says as her voice gets closer to the door. Italy doesn't even notice her coming or the door opening.

"Hey Italy. What are you doing here?" Italy looks up at Hope with tears spilling from his eyes. Her face starts to fill with worry, while the other three are shocked that he's there.

"Italy? Are you alright? What happened?" Hope says in a worried and sincere tone. Italy looks at Austria, France, and Spain, who turn their heads away from them, most likely in shame. Italy looks back at Hope, who still has the same look on her face. Italy turns and runs away as fast as he can.

"Italy! Wait!" Hope says as she takes a few steps out of the room to run after him. She realizes that's he's too fast for her, and stops.

"_Sacré bleu_! (God dammit) 'ow long 'as 'e been zere?"

"Do you think _el niño_ heard?"

"Of course he did! Vhy else vould he run out like dat?" Hope turns toward the three nations.

"Heard what?" Hope says as she walks back into the room, and toward the nations.

"What are guys talking about? What's going on?" Spain and France look toward Austria. None of them are saying a word. Hope is slowly starting to lose her patience with them, especially with Italy running off.

"Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?"

"I vill. As you know, Italy vas part of de Holy Roman Empire. But dere's another reason why he vas part of it. You see, Holy Roman loved Italy, and vanted her to become part of his empire. Before he left with Spain and I to go to var, Italy gave him her teck brush, and dey shared a kiss. Dey promised each oder dat dey vould see after de var ended. De var he vas referring to vas de Dirty Years Var. As you know, we lost, and he slowly started to die at dat var."

"Oh my gosh. Poor Italy. Wait, you called him a girl a few times. Italy's a boy."

"_Ja_. We didn't know he vas a guy vhen he vas younger. Hungary dressed him up in dresses, and he had a very high pitched voice dat sounded like a girl's voice."

"I'm assuming that tthis Hungary person thought Italy was a girl too?"

"Actually, Hungary knew long before I did that he vas a boy." Hope looks at him with a shocked look on her face. _This Hungary person sounds so cruel. I don't want to get on his bad side._

"Wait a minute. This doesn't make sense. If Holy Rome has been dead since 1806, then why did Italy look like he just heard it for the first time?"

"Because 'e did, _mademoiselle_." Her face turns to France so quickly, it looks like she got whiplash in the process.

"Correct me if I'm wrong. Are you telling me that Italy had no idea that he's been dead all this time until now?"

"_Oui_."

"It's been over 200 years! What the hell were you guys thinking? You just thought Holy Rome would pop up out of the freakin' blue again, so this would have been avoided!"

"Please understand, _señorita_. _Italia_ was a very young child back then. None of us had _la corazón_ (the heart) to tell him about Holy Rome's death."

"I'm sure he could have handled it. Instead of waiting two hundred years only to find out from standing behind a door! Not even to his face!" Hope screams angrily at them. She sighs heavily as she runs her hand through her hair. She starts to run out of the Conference Room.

"_Espérance_! Where are you going?" Hope stops and turns to look at them.

"This is my fault. I opened my mouth and said he was dead. I have to find him, and make this right." Hope says softly as she runs out of the room, not even waiting for them to say anything. The three countries run after her. Hope runs down the stairs, where the rest of the countries are there. She goes into the closet, and gets one of her small jackets. Britain looks up from his book, and looks at her frantic movements.

"Is something the matter, love?" Hope ignore his question, and continues to put on her jacket. She looks around for a few seconds, and sees Romano eating a tomato. She walks in front of him, surprising him in the process.

"Romano, I need you to come with me please." Hope says sternly to him.

"_Perché__ Speranza _(Why Hope)? And where's my stupid_ fratello_?"

"He ran off somewhere. He overheard France, Austria, Spain, and I talk about Holy Rome's death. I need your help in finding him."

"My help? Why not ask for the potato bastard's help?"

"Because whether you like it or not, you're South Italy. With him, you make up Italy as a whole. There's no one else in this whole world that knows your brother better than you. Please. I don't want anything to happen to him, and I know you feel the same way I do."

"Dammit! That idiot will get himself killed! What are we standing here for? Let's go find my idiot brother!" Romano says as he starts to run out the house. Hope smiles and she follows him.

"Lovi, are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Spain says worriedly, stopping Romano and Hope from leaving.

"I agree with Spain. You sure you and Romano will be fine on your own, Hope?" America says in a somewhat worried tone. Hope turns to look at America, and smiles.

"Of course I'm sure, tomato bastard! This is family business!"

"I think what Romano is trying to say is that it's better if there's not a lot of people. The two of us will be fine. If something does happen that we can't handle, we won't hesitate to ask for your help. I promise. Let's go Romano." Hope says with a smile on her face as she and Romano leaves the house.

* * *

Unknown Part of the Forest: Present Day, 2012

"Holy Rome can't be dead. He just can't." Italy says to himself as he sits in a clearing, holding onto Pookie for dear life thinking that she too would leave him suddenly as the Holy Roman Empire did.

"Holy Rome...you promised to come back to me. You promised." Italy continues to sob to himself in the middle of a clearing.

"And I did come back, Italy. I came back...to you."

"Romano, are you sure he went this way? I'm starting to get tired, and these stupid branches keep hitting me in the face!" Hope whines to the other Italy while slowing down her pace. After leaving the house, Romano led her to the forest she was in for her warm up last week. As you can see, she's not very fond of this place.

"Hey! You asked for my damn help, and now you're getting it! Now stop complaining and keep running! My _fratello_ could be in danger, and all you're doing is whining about getting hit by some damn leaves!" Romano says as he runs farther than the Reader. She tries to keep up, but she's really tired and keeps getting knocked in the face by branches.

"What I wouldn't give for a machete right now, or a ridiculously large pair of scissors." Hope mutters angrily as she gets hit by a branch for the umpteenth time. She takes a deep breath, and focuses. She starts to pick up speed as she slowly start to lose Romano from her sight. She stops to take a few minutes to rest, but she suddenly feels something odd, something she can't explain. Like a spidey sense, but with magic. Strong magic.

"Romano!" Hope screams loudly, startling the Italian.

"What?"

"I know where he is." Romano runs back toward her. He looks at her with widened hazel eyes.

"How in the hell did you figure that out?"

"Call me crazy, but I think I'm sensing some magic nearby. Really strong magic. My guess is that wherever Italy is, that magic is near him."

"You think that's _il Fantasma_(the Phantom)?"

"Well it's not me. And it's damn sure not Britain. Come on!" Hope says with renewed energy as she grabs Romano's hand and leads him through the forest (branches and all) with her, shocking him. _Where in the hell did she get all this damn energy from?_

"What? Who's there?" Italy says as he looks around with tears in his eyes as they spill. He hears footsteps coming toward him. _  
_

"_Speranza bella_? Big brother Romano? Anybody?" Italy turns around to the sound of the footsteps. His amber eyes are open and they widen at the sight in front of him. A young man with white, blond hair that is out and wild, making bangs that appear a little bit above his blue eyes. He's wearing a long black tunic, and tan-colored breeches. Over the tunic is a black cloak, and a hat of the same color.

"Holy Rome? Is that really you?"

"_Ja_, Italy. It's me." Italy can't believe his eyes. Without a second thought, Italy runs up to him, and hugs him like there's no tomorrow. Holy Rome hesitates for a few seconds, then hugs him back. He hears Italy sobbing on his cloak.

"But, you're dead. _Speranza_ said you died over 200 years ago. How are you alive?" Italy says as he gets out of his embrace.

"Italy, I need you to listen to me. You're in danger right now."

"What? But the Phantom is no where near here!"

"The Phantom is not your enemy. It's the girl. She's the one behind this. Behind everything." Italy takes a few steps away from him in disbelief.

"_Speranza_? That can't be right. She's always very nice and kind to us. Sure she can get a little bitchy and angry sometimes, but she would never do anything horrible like that to us."

"That's because she made everyone believe that she vouldn't. She build up this innocent act so she could easily gain your trust. She is a manipulative liar. She said I vas dead, but I'm right here! Vho knows vhat other lies she's been feeding you all? You need to come vith me, so ve can get help and defeat her once and for all."

"But what about Germany, and Japan, and my big brother Romano?"

"Ve can't save them yet. Now vhile she's powerful as she is. Ve have to run away for now. Vhen ve come back, ve'll have the veapons and skill necessary to end her evil life once and for all."

"We have to...kill her?"

"It's the only vay to make sure she von't come back and try this again. So, are you vith me, my love?" Holy Rome says as he holds out his hand for him. Italy looks at his hand stretched toward, then to Holy Rome's face. He starts to tremble in fear and nervousness.

"Hey! I think I see someone up ahead!"

"Slow down, _bella_! You're going too damn fast!"

"We can't slow down now that we know that he's not alone! The strong magic I'm sensing is from where he is! That means, your _fratello_ is in danger, and all you're doing is complaining about how I'm going too fast!"

"Stop using my words against me dammit!"

"Shhh! Look! Do you see what I see?" Hope says as she stops, and points in front of her. Romano walks close to her, and spots a familiar head of brown hair with a curl sticking out.

"That's my idiot brother! What the hell is he doing talking to himself?"

"Has your brother even talked to himself before?"

"Hell no!"

"Then I don't think he's talking to himself now. Come on. We gotta find who Italy is talking to, and what they're talking about!" Hope says as she Romano move slowly and carefully toward them. As they get closer they see a young man with blue eyes, and blond hair with a black cloak and hat on.

"Who the heck is he?"

"_Porca puttana_(Holy shit!)! That's the Holy Roman Empire!"

"What?"

"Look, he's talking to Holy Roman Empire! He actually came back!"

"That's impossible! The Holy Roman Empire collapsed in 1806, after the Thirty Years War! He hasn't been around for over 200 years. France, and Austria confirmed it. There's no possible way he could return unless..." Hope trails off as her brown eyes widen and her jaw drops. Romano look at her with a confused expression as she never finish her sentence. She closes her eyes, and lowers her head down.

"_Speranza_?"

"Romano, I need you to go back to the house and get Germany, America, and Japan's help."

"Why the hell would I do something degrading asking for the potato bastard's help?"

"Because if I'm right, then this won't end easily. Please?"

"I will gladly ask for the other two's help, _Speranza bella, _but there's no way in hell am I gonna ask for the barbaric potato bastard's help."

"Romano-"

"I would never hurt my pride by asking that barbaric potato eater-"

"It's either your pride, or your baby brother! Which one are you willing to save?" Hope says sternly, having lost her patience with Romano. She lifts her head up to face him startling him. He takes his words to heart, and closes his hands into fists.

"Fine! Because it's to save my brother, I'll ask the potato bastard for help. I'll tell you now I won't like it!"

"Thank you Romano. Now get going. Go!" Romano nods as he runs back to the house as fast as he can. Hope watches the scene intently, waiting for her best chance to strike.

"Italy, vill you finally become the Roman Empire vith me?" Italy slowly moves his hand toward Holy Rome's hand.

"Italy!" Hope runs out of the bushes, and gets into a fighting stance against Holy Rome, shocking both Italy and Holy Rome (who has a scowl on his face).

"_Speranza bella_! What are you doing here?"

"Come to spread more of her lies to you, no doubt."

"Italy, I've been looking for you ever since you ran off. I wanted to make sure you was alright." Hope says worriedly to him, ignoring Holy Rome completely.

"She's lying Italy! Remember vhat I told you! She's trying to kill all you love!"

"Excuse me? The only one who's lying here is you. Have no shame stooping to a level as low as this? Your mother must be so proud."

"I'm going to expose you for the liar you are."

"That's funny. I was about to say the same thing to you."

"Italy, she has done nothing but lie to you about everything. She lied to you about me!"

"Italy, I have never ever lied to you since we met. I would never lie to you, especially about someone that's very close to you. I know you really want it to be a lie, but the Holy Roman Empire is dead! He's been dead for over 200 years! This thing in front of you is nothing but an impostor! The Phantom is taking advantage of your love for him. He's going to use it to kill you!"

"She's lying! You know I vould never lie to you Italy. She's smart and clever enough to come up vith a plan to kill you. Vho knows vhat else she can do!"

"Italy, you are a very very dear friend to me. Please believe me when I say that Holy Rome is gone, and this guy's a fake!"

"I don't know who to believe!" Italy cries out as tears falls down his eyes. His kitten looks up at him and meows. Hope gives a dirty glare to Holy Rome. Holy Rome smirks at her. _Damn. What can I say that will prove that I'm right. C'mon Hope! Think! You were just talking about the damn kid for a half and hour! I got it! Let's hope this works._

"Holy Rome, may I ask you a question?"

"Ask away you manipulator." Hope rolls her eyes at the name calling, and takes a deep breath. She smiles innocently at Holy Rome, not knowing what she's gonna say or do next.

"Do you remember what Italy gave you as a gift when you left?" Italy looks at Hope with uncertainty. Hope looks at him, smiles, and winks. She mouths out "Trust me." to him. Italy nods hesitantly.

"Of course I remember that gift! That vas one of the best gifts I received."

"What was it?"

"Vhat vas vhat?"

"The gift Italy gave you. I mean, surely you should know what he gave you before you left. I mean, if you two are so much in love now as you were before you left, then it should really easy to say what it is. Am I right?"

"Of course!"

"So, what was it? Tell us the whole story Holy Rome." Hope says with a smirk on her face as she crosses her arms, and waits for his response.

"Holy Rome? You do remember what I gave you, right?" Italy hopefully, as he wants Holy Rome to prove her wrong.

"Of course! I remember it like it vas yesterday."

"So spill. Don't keep us in suspense. I really would like to know." Hope says as she changes her stance, but keeps that smirk on her face. Holy Rome still says nothing. Italy looks at Holy Rome sadly.

"Holy Rome?"

"Italy, if Holy Rome loved you as much as you believe he did, then he would have answered that question without hesitation." Italy looks at Holy Rome, then looks down sadly. _She's right. Holy Rome isn't here. This is a impostor._

"I know you wanted him to be real, and alive. I'm really sorry, Italy. The Holy Roman Empire is dead." Hope says softly as she consoles him.

"You're right, _Speranza bella_. _Mi dispiace tanto, mi amica _(I'm so sorry, my friend). I shouldn't have ran away like that, and I should have believed you from the start." She smiles sympathetically toward the Northern part of Italy, and hugs him.

"Don't apologize. I understand. We all want our dead loved ones to come back. When we get a slight chance that they might be, we hold onto it thinking they will come back. I was like that when my aunt-"

"Italy! Vhat are you doing! She's the enemy! Don't feed into her lies!"

"Oh shut up! We both know you're the impostor, so you can drop the act. Seriously." Hope says irritably toward Holy Rome.

"Come on, Italy. Let's go home. Everyone's worried sick about you." Hope says. Italy nods, and they turn around and start to walk back.

"No one is going anyvhere." Hope and Italy turn around to face the fake Holy Rome. He has a black aura surrounding his body. The black aura scares Pookie. She meows loudly in fear as she jumps out Italy's arms and runs away.

"Pookie! Come back!"

"She'll be fine, Italy."

"Italy, I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice. If you won't come vith me by choice, then I'll have to make you come."

"That's what she said!" Hope says jokingly while giggling. Italy gives Hope a look that says "Really?".

"Sorry." Hope says as she looks down awkwardly and clears her throat.

"Enough! You vill come vith me Italy!" Holy Rome says as he looks up, and his blue eyes are now blood red. He opens his left hand, and sword appears in it. He runs toward them and tries to swing it toward them.

"Italy!" Hope says as she pushes him out the way. The fake manages to scratch her right arm with the sword.  
She swears at the attack as they fall on the ground. Italy looks up at her and gasps as he sees a trail of red liquid on her arm.

"_Speranza bella_! Are you alright?" Hope looks at her arm, and wipes off the blood on her arm. She looks at Italy's frightened face, then at the furious Holy Rome. Hope takes a deep breath, and closes her eyes. _Dammit! I didn't expect this from him. No matter, I have to protect Italy and stall this faker till help arrives. That's the best I can do for now._ Hope opens her eyes with a determined look on her face.

"_Speranza_-"

"I'm fine. But we need to run! Now!" Hope says as she and Italy get up and start running away from the fake. The fake runs after them with a determined, angry look on his face.

* * *

Living Room: Present Day, 2012

"This is ridiculous! We shouldn't be standing here, doing nothing! Hope and the Italy dudes could be in danger right now! We have to go after them!" America says as he's pacing around the living room. He's been doing since Hope and Romano left.

"America, calm down! You remember what she said. She said that she and Romano can handle it. Have some sort of faith in her. Now stop pacing around, and sit down you _git_!" Britain screams at him as he's sipping his tea. His is sitting on the couch with Japan and Germany. America stops, and turns toward him.

"I do have faith in her! It's just what if they can't handle it?"

"Then they'll ask for help, like she said. Besides, Hope is a responsible young lady. She knows what she can and can't handle."

"_Hai_. I agree with _Igirisu_. Hope_-san_ seems very capabre of being aware of her rimits." Japan says as he sits next to Britain, reading his manga.

"But, what if she gets hurt?"

"It's a part of life to get hurt. Vhat doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Each vound she gets vill make her a better and smarter fighter." Germany says as he's sitting next to Japan, with his arms crossed, and his eyes closed.

"Especially wounds with blood and broken bones, _Дa_?" Russia says cheerfully as he drinks his bottle of vodka.

"I don't think that's what he means, _aru_. I bet you that Hope and Romano will come through this door right now with Italy, _aru_!" On cue, the door slams open, startling the nations. A sweaty, out of breath Romano runs in the house.

"Lovi? Are you alright? _¿Dónde están tu hermano y Esperanza?_" Spain says worriedly as he runs toward him, and looks over him for injuries.

"No time! I need the potato bastard, the hamburger bastard, and Japan's help now!"

"Vhy are you asking me for my help? I thought you hate me."

"I will always hate you. Don't ever forget that you barbaric potato eater. But _Speranza_ asked me to get you three specifically. She needs your help!"

"Hope's in danger? Tell me everything that happened." America is a very serious and stern voice toward the Italian, scaring him a little bit.

"_Speranza_ and I found my idiot _fratello_ talking to Holy Rome in the forest."

"But zat is impossible! 'oly Rome 'as been dead for over 200 years!"

"That's what she said. She didn't explain anything else to me."

"Vhat else did she say to you, Romano?" Austria says as he sips his tea. The nations look at him in shock, as if they forgot he was there.

"She said she didn't know how, but she sensed some very strong magic nearby."

"The Reader has the ability to sense magic around her. Seems like she finally discovered it. Go on." Britain says all knowingly as he tells him to continue.

"She guessed it was the Phantom's doing, and led me toward Veneziano. When we found him, he was talking to this guy that looked exactly like Holy Rome. Then, she said that if she was right, then this wasn't going to end well. It was then she told me to go back and get you three for help."

"Why in the world would she do that? That doesn't make any sense." Britain says as he puts his hand to chin in deep thought.

"Because she knew that the Holy Rome Italy vas talking to is a fake. She wanted you to leave, so you vouldn't have to see her interrogate him. She knew you vould give hell to anyone vho vould make your brother cry. Even if it vas for his own good. She didn't need or vant you to step in and play the big brother role."

"She made me ask the potato bastard for help, so I wouldn't get in her way! That _cagna __egoista_ (selfish bitch)!"

"Lovi!"

"Wait a minute. Maybe there's more than meets the eye." Canada screams as loud as he can, gaining all the nations' attention.

"What do you mean, bro?"

"Maybe Hope saw something that you didn't see, Romano. Maybe she realized something big, or dangerous was going to happen, and she needed you to help her get ready for it. You said she sensed some powerful magic, and how Holy Rome has been dead for over 200 years, right?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"Maybe she realized that Holy Rome is a fake used by the Phantom to get Italy. He must have somehow found out about Hope unintentionally telling Italy about Holy Rome's death, and him running off. Maybe that's why she made you leave to get help."

"That's brilliant Canada! It all makes sense now! She knew she couldn't handle this alone, so she made Romano go back to get help. But why only you three, especially the _git's_?"

"Ve don't have time to figure that out! If what has been said is true, then Hope are Italy are in serious danger! Ve must go to them now! The sooner we get to vhere they are, the better."

"Romano_-kun_, do you know where they are? Courd you possibry read us to them?"

"_Naturalmente_ (Of course)!"

"Then let's go! The hero has to save it's fellow allies!" America says as he, Romano, Japan, and Germany run of the house. Romano leads them into the forest quickly.

* * *

Unknown Part of the Forest: Present Day, 2012

"_Speranza bella_, where are we going?" Italy asks to Hope as he's running for dear life (when is he not?).

"Anywhere that allows us to lose whatever that thing really is. Just keep running, and don't look back!" Hope says frantically as they continue to run through the forest. Her lungs are on fire at the moment, but she doesn't stop running for Italy's sake. They duck many branches and trees that are in their way without hesitation. Hope wants to know desperately if the fake is still behind them, but doesn't want to get Italy more frightened than he already is. After a few minutes of running, they come across a clearing in the forest, but this one has a cliff. Hope and Italy walk toward it, and see water and rocks at the bottom.

"Maybe we can _salto _(jump)."

"Nice idea, but it wouldn't work. If we jump, we'll most likely hit those rocks at the bottom, killing us instantly. And it doesn't look like we can climb down it either. Come on. Let's keep running." Hope says as she and Italy start to run again, but don't get far as the Holy Rome fake steps out in front of them. Hope and Italy stop and scream (well, Italy screamed. Hope just gasped in shock).

"Going somewhere?" He says tauntingly. Hope and Italy turn around to run, but only manages to take a few steps before another person appears. This person is actually a small girl with blood red eyes. She is wearing shorts, a tank-top with a pink smock, a bandage on her forehead, and a red ascot. On her feet are a pair of red flip flops. Her hair is fastened in a short and curly side-pony, and her scrunchie has a flower on it. In her left hand is a paintbrush.

"Little girl! It's not safe for you here! Run away!"

"You're right about it not being safe, for you anyway." She says with a smirk on her face. Italy starts trembling in fear, while Hope narrows her eyes at the girl. The young girl takes a few steps toward them.

"Do you like him? He's my masterpiece. If I hadn't known any better, I would have thought that he's the real Holy Roman Empire."

"Who are you, and what do you want?" Hope says calmly, but sternly to the girl.

"My name is Wy, and I'm here to collect Italy Veneziano by the orders of my master."

"When you say master, you mean the Phantom, right?"

"Correct. You catch on very quickly. Now if you would hand over the Italian, you can walk away without any injuries." Italy, still trembling, looks toward Hope.

"_Speranza_?"

"Hell no. I refuse to hand him over to him." Hope narrows her eyes toward Wy.

"Why do you care so much about him? My master says that he's nothing a but weak crybaby who always needs help. There's nothing good, or useful about him. He's a worthless-"

"Shut up!" Hope screams angrily interrupting her. Italy and Wy jump, startled by her voice.

"How dare you have the audacity to say all those things about him? Italy is not worthless! He is never worthless! He is worth more than gold, silver, and diamonds combined. My friendship with him is worth more than the world itself. And secondly, Italy is damn sure not weak! He's one of the strongest people I ever met! And I'm so honored to have met and befriended him. And if you say one more thing that's insulting toward him, I'm gonna take that paintbrush and shove it down your throat. Got it?" Hope says sternly toward Wy. Her tone does not falter at all during her speech. Wy smirks again at her, and giggles at her speech and angry expression.

"Well, what do you know? Italy brought the Reader with him too. How cute!" Hope and Italy widen their eyes at Wy's statement.

"How did you know that I am the Reader?"

"My master said that you are very passionate and devoted when it came to your friends. You truly showed that when you stood up for Italy. But I don't know your name. My master never told me."

"My name is Hope Marianne Boyd, but just Hope is fine. I would say it's nice to meet you, but then I would be lying."

"The feeling is mutual. May I ask you a question?"

"Fine."

"Why do you reject my master's offers? He would make you become strong and powerful. You would be to rule the entire world with us, and you still refuse. Why?"

"Because I don't abandon, or betray anyone, especially my friends. And I damn sure don't ally myself with people that try to kill people important to me. So I'm only going to say this once, and please pass this on to your master for me: I'm not going to join him, no matter what he says, or what you does to me. I will never, ever join him and selfish intentions. I rather die before joining him."

"Too bad. You would have been very powerful. You do have a nasty little habit of sticking your nose in places where it doesn't belong, and that's frowned upon by my master. So I'm going to kill you to make sure you don't interfere with my master's plans anymore. Looks like you get your wish after all. Holy Rome! Kill the Reader, then grab the Italian!"

"Yes, Lady Vy." Fake Holy Rome says obediently as he walks into the middle of the clearing with sword in hand. Hope narrows her eyes toward the fake.

"Italy." Hope whispers, so only he could hear her voice.

"_Si_?"

"There is a good chance that I won't live to see what happens after this is over."

"Are you say that you might die, _Speranza_?"

"Yeah. There's a good chance that I'll die."

"But _Speranza_, you can't die! We need you!"

"I know, but we need to consider all the possible outcomes. With that being said, I need you to listen to me very carefully. If I do end up dying at the end of this, run straight to the others as fast as you can. Don't hesitate for a moment. Run immediately and not a second later. Don't look back for my sake. Focus on getting back to your brother, Germany, Japan, and the others. Do you understand me?"

"But _Speranza_-"

"Promise me Italy. This is the first, and possibly the last thing I'll ever ask of you. Can you do that for me?" Italy starts to tear up at the possibility of this being her last request.

"_P__rometto_ (I promise)."

"Good. And can you please tell the others that I'm so sorry, and hope they'll forgive me?"

"I will." Hope turns around to face him. She hugs him very tightly, while she hears him sobbing. Italy hugs her back as tight as he can. Wy rolls her red eyes at the scene in front of her, and yawns in boredom. The fake Holy Rome watches the scene intently, as if he's actually feeling something. He quickly shakes off the feeling and focus on the task of killing the Reader, and taking Italy.

"You are an amazing friend. I value our friendship so much. It is an honor to meet and befriend someone so amazing like you." Hope whispers softly to him, causing the poor Italian man to cry even harder. Tears fall down his face like waterfalls. After a few minutes, they let go. Hope smiles at him as she wipes away the tears from his eyes.

"Everything will be just fine when this is all over. Okay?" Italy smiles as he nods at her. She kisses his forehead, and smiles at him while she winks at him. Italy can't help but giggle at her gesture. She takes off her jacket, and gives it Italy to hold. He grabs it and weakly smiles back. She walks away from him, and toward the middle of the clearing. Fake Holy Rome smirks at the young woman as she finally makes it.

"Are you ready to die, Ms. Boyd?" He says as goes into a fighting stance with the sword pointed directly at her, as if he's trying to intimidate or frighten her. Hope is not fazed by his gesture. She raises an eyebrow as she puts a hand on her hip.

"If you that determined to kill me, then you better bring all you got. I refuse to lose to you and your master without a fight." Hope says as she smirks, and fixes her hair and glasses. When she's done, she goes into a fighting stance, and takes a deep breath. _This is it Hope. It's do or die. Time to show the Phantom and his minions what you're made of. Whatever happens, please let everything work out in the end. Please let Romano bring help. Please let them come in time. And please, please, please, let Italy be safe and sound at the end of this. He doesn't need to suffer anymore pain from this.  
_

"Your life ends now Hope Marianne Boyd!" The fake says as he runs toward her with the black aura surrounding him. His sword in his hand is also surrounded by the black aura as well.

"That's what you think! Flara!" Hope says as she quickly rubs her hands together in one quick motion. Her hands are covered with orange flames instantly. She runs toward the fake as well, silently praying everything turns out well for her dear friends, even if she doesn't live to see how it ends.

_**And that is the chapter! Now before I sign off, I would like to say a few things. First off, Happy early birthday to Denmark, Sweden, and Hungary! Their birthdays' are this week, so I wanna give them a birthday shout out. Second, congrats to everyone who is graduating from elementary, middle, high school, and college this month, and last month! You guys earned it! Thirdly, this story will be going over a lot of topics that range from definitely covered in Hetalia fanfiction and otherwise (ex: Holy Roman Empire), to things that haven't been touched (ex: The Bloodless Revolution). So, this a heads up to everyone. Don't be surprised when I do talk about a certain topic in history. Fourthly, I would like to thank you guys. As of now, I have 2,806 hits, 35 alerts, 30 favorites, and 43 reviews! I honestly couldn't have you done this without you guys! You guys are awesome, and I love you in a non platonic way! So keep an eye out for this story because there will definitely more to come. So, until next time!**_

_**~Hopefaith2**_


	9. Hope's Desperate Fight For Survival!

_**Hey guys! This is Hopefaith2 again brining you Chapter 9! I apologize for it being so short. I was going to include all the fights, but then the chapter would be ridiculously long, and I don't have the time or the patience to write it all out. So I decided to split them up into two chapters. So in total, this arc (I guess you can call it that) will be about four chapters long. Secondly, 12 reviews on the last chapter! Whoa! That is seriously unexpected! I really appreciate the love! Thirdly I apologize if this does end up to suck. I had A LOT of trouble trying to write out this fight scene and such. So if it sucks, tell me, and I'll take it down and rewrite it! So, read and review. I give you chapter 9! Enjoy!**_

**Subplot Three: Hope's Sunday off: Italy & His Lost Love**

**Part 2: Hope's Desperate Fight For Survival!**

Unknown Part of The Forest: Present Day 2012

She already know this isn't going end well for her. One way or another, she know this is going to hurt, or possibly kill her. She know she will be seeing red, and if she's right, then she will be seeing a lot of it. The question is, who will be covered in red, and who won't. She knows for a fact that she will be covered in red. That was a given in her opinion. She knows there would be some on the fake HRE as well. How much red will be on him depends on her abilities and accuracy. Wy? She doesn't seem the type to get her hands dirty. If that isn't true, then she wouldn't have made the fake in the first place to kidnap Italy. She pray to god that Italy wouldn't be covered in red. Italy is a kind, gentle soul. Sure he was part of a few wars in his lifetime (way before her ancestors were shipped to America), but she couldn't help worrying about him getting hurt during this. She would never admit this out loud, but she started to grow fond of the Italian. His personality, smile, laughter, compliments, affection towards her, and most importantly his cooking always made her days a bit brighter. She had assumed he did this for everyone (some more than others), and definitely didn't want to him to die because of her mistake. Even imagining Italy's bruised and bloodied body sent shivers down her spine. She wouldn't let that happen. She would protect him at all costs.

"Raaaah!" The fake screams, breaking her out of her current train of thought. He consecutively swings his dark magic enhanced sword at Hope in a short amount of time. Hope dodges them to the best of her ability, but he manages to make scratch marks on her body with his sword a couple of times. He pants, slowly trying to catch his breath. Hope takes this time to stop and inspect the damage. She has cuts over her arms, and waist that are shown by rips on her dress. Hope also pants to catch her breath. _Dammit! Why in the world was I thinking about something else other than this fight! The same reason why I forgot about the stupid paper, and got Italy and I in this mess in the first place!_

"_Speranza bella_!" Hope turns to Italy, who's clutching her jacket so tight in his hands. Not wanting to worry the Italian even more, Hope smiles and gives him a thumbs up. Italy relaxes a bit and smiles back at her. Wy looks unimpressed by the Reader's actions. _Why do you lie to him, Hope? We all know you will die very soon. But you still smile, and tell him that everything will be fine. Do you truly care about your friends that much? Or are you truly that stupid and optimistic?_

"Shall ve continue?"

"Hell yeah. Flara!" Hope quickly rubs her hands together in one quick motion. Her hands are covered with orange flames instantly. She throws one fireball after another toward the fake. The fake manages to dodge most of them, except the last two. The last two fireballs actually hit him. One hits him on his right arm, and the other directly hits his chest. He takes a couple of steps back while grabbing his chest.

"Bulls eye." Hope says as she smirks to himself. However, her smirk fades as the fake moves his hand to reveal his chest unharmed.

"What the hell? I hit you straight in the chest with that last one! How are you still standing?"

"Did you honestly think that veak magic trick vas actually going to hurt me. You're very stupid for believing that, and very foolish for taking on something that you could not handle. You vill not vin, Hope. You vill die before anyone saves you. And vhen you are no longer of this vorld, the Phantom shall rule all!"

"I may have gotten myself in a pickle, that is true. I may die before my friends arrive, that is also true. But I'll be damned if I let you, miss eyebrows, or the Phantom complete this twisted, insane goal of his. I will fight against your master until my very last breath."

"That last breath may come sooner than you think. Do you still vant to fight me?"

"Of course. Even if I do die, I won't die in vain. I've waited too long to stick it to your boss. There's no way in hell I'm wasting this opportunity." Hope says as she wipes the blood off her arms once again. The fake is not amused, and goes into another fighting stance.

"I bid thee farevell, Hope Marianne."

"I'm still breathing dumb ass!"

"Not for long. Ha!" The fake says as he runs toward her, sword in position. Hope gets into position, watching her opponent intently. _Alright so offense is out, but I still got defense! _The fake gets a tighter grip on his weapon as his sword's dark aura starts to get bigger and darker. The fake jumps in the air, and tries to attack above her.

"I don't think so! Barria anun!" Hope says as she closes her eyes. She raises them above her head, creating a barrier around her. The fake is not fazed by the barrier. He hits the barrier with much force, that it disintegrates in a matter of seconds. He jumps back to his original spot, smirking.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" Hope screams in pain as she falls down to the ground as she cradles her left wrist tightly. Tears are threatening to come out of her eyes, but she refuses to cry, especially in front of Wy and the fake.

"_Speranza_!" Italy says as he tries to run to her, but is blocked by Wy's paintbrush.

"I would greatly advise against running in between them Mr. Veneziano. My master wants you safe and sound. I can't guarantee your safety if you do run out there."

"But _Speranza_. She's hurt. I have to help her!"

"And what can you do? All you're good for is painting, cooking, and running away. You couldn't help anyone." Italy looks at her in shock, then looks back at Hope, who's panting while laying on the ground. Her eyes are closed shut to not let any tears escape. He looks down on the ground sadly.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I can't help anyone."

"That's...not...true." Italy looks up to see Hope slowly getting up from the ground. When she finally gets on her two feet, she winces in pain.

"_Speranza_! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I just can't use my arm for a while. Like I said, you help me more than you know Italy. Don't you ever let anyone, especially a pint sized girl with caterpillar eyebrows (Wy: Hey!) tell you different. I betcha Germany, and Japan would have told you the same thing if they were here." Hope says as she smiles toward him. Italy smiles back. Wy is starting to lose her patience.

"It amazes me how you manage to keep such a positive attitude throughout all this. Do you not understand the position that you're in right now?"

"Oh believe me girl. I do understand completely. But you fail to realize something."

"And what's that?"

"As I said earlier if I do die, my death won't be in vain. That's the truth. Cause when my friends finally do arrive here, they're gonna kick you and your little masterpiece's sorry asses. Especially America and Germany."

"Why especially them?"

"You seriously think you can get away with killing one of America's citizens? Ha! And Germany, fuggedaboutit! If you haven't already known, he's very protective of Italy. I'm quite certain that he definitely does not like to see Italy crying and trembling in fear." Hope says as she smiles toward Italy, who smiles at her back. _Speranza is right. America is protective of her as it is. And Germany is always going to save me!_

"Enough! You will not try to frighten us with such lies!"

"You can ignore what I have to say all you want. I'm just speaking the truth to you."

"I will not fall for such a trivial, pathetic trick like that! I thought you were smart enough to come up with something believable."

"Listen, I don't have anything against you. The only person I have something against is the Phantom. I don't want you or your 'creation' to end up as fertilizer, so I'm giving you a fair warning. It's your choice whether you take it or not."

"You're just trying to stall your last minutes on Earth with your pathetic lies! I will not be fooled by some cocky girl who thinks she knows everything!"

"Hey! I do not think I know everything! I admit that I may be cocky at times, but I am not a know it all!"

"Silence! Heinrich, finish her off!"

"_Ja_, Lady Vy." Heinrich says as he runs straight toward her again. Hope tries to get into position, but winces. _This is just great. My wrist is broken, so I can't perform any magic. Now what am I supposed to do? _Hope's train of thought is interrupted again as the fake swings his sword at her again. She dodges, but she is not as fast as she was before. Hope narrows her eyes and concentrates as the fake keeps slashing her all over her body. She accidentally trips, and the fake stabs her on her right side with his sword.

"_Speranza_, no!" The fakes pulls out his sword, with red substance covering half of the blade. A trail of blood runs down her side. The fake smiles as Hope shows a pained expression on her face.

"Had enough?" The fake says arrogantly to her. Out of nowhere, he is suddenly kicked in his sensitive area, dropping the sword in the process. Hope then kicks the sword as hard as she can, causing it to fall off the cliff.

"That should even the playing field a little bit. Now neither of us are able to use magic." Hope says as she puts her hand on her injury to asset the damage.

"Yay _Speranza bella_! _Ve~_!" Hope chuckles at Italy's cheering for her. She looks at him and winks. Suddenly, she is punched in the face, making her fall onto the ground again. Italy gasps in shock, and turns to see the fake towering over her, not very happy.

"How dare you kick my svord you stupid _Hündin_ (bitch)! Vho the hell do you think you are?" Hope manages to stand up, and wipes the blood off her face.

"First off, I don't think I am. Secondly, I know that I am Hope Marianne Boyd. Thirdly, I know that I'm the Reader. And lastly, I know that I'm the one who's going to defeat your precious master. You mad?" Hope says teasingly at the fake, making him more furious at her.

"You are in no position to make jokes at me."

"On the contrary, I am. You may be winning at the moment, but you're slowly losing your temper. Why? Because I make jokes at you? Because I kicked your precious sword down the cliff? None of the above. It's because I still have enough strength to get up, make jokes, and fight back. That's why you're slowly losing your temper."

"Shut up!"

"You must have thought that it was going to be easy to kill me because I'm a human. I told you that I would be hard to get rid of, and I wasn't lying. Sadly, you had to find that out the hard way."

"Silence! I vill you kill you smart mouthed bitch!"

"Can I really take your word for it? At this point, I really think you're all bark and no bite. You know, I bet the real Holy Roman Empire would have killed me in less than five minutes."

"Shut up! I am the Holy Roman Empire."

"No, you're not. You're just a horrible imitation of the HRE."

"Shut up! I am the one and only Holy Roman Empire."

"You couldn't even fool Italy! That's just really sad, no offense Italy (Italy: None taken _Speranza_!)."

"I am getting very sick and tired of your vitty, smart mouthed remarks. I promise you, you vill die today!"

"Then you better kill me off quick. I got a bunch more smart mouthed remarks that I would love to use on you." Hope says as she smirks at the fake. _I'm having way too fun with him. _Heinrich grits his teeth as he run toward the girl. Hope goes into a fighting stance. Heinrich tries to punch her again, but she dodges easily, but she didn't see his second attack until it's too late. He catches her off guard, and knees her in the stomach. Hope gasps as the wind is knocked out of her. He punches her in the face, and kicks her in the side. To finish his lovely combination, Heinrich grabs her and throws her against a tree. Her back hits the tree very hard, and blood drips from her mouth. She slowly slides down the tree, and then lands face down on the ground. Her glasses fall off her face, and land a few feet in front of her.

"_SPERANZA_!" Italy screams with tears threatening to fall down his face.

"Damn. I pushed him too far. I really need to learn when to keep my mouth shut." Hope whispers to herself in a voice obviously filled with pain. She slowly opens her eyes. Wy smiles, pleased with her masterpiece's success.

"Heinrich, would you be a dear, and check to see if she's still breathing?" Her masterpiece nods and slowly walks toward her. He purposely steps on her glasses, breaking them completely. Hope's eyes widen at the sound of the glass breaking. He bends down, and checks her pulse.

"I'm still here. And you owe me a new pair of glasses asshole." Hope says in a weak teasing voice. Heinrich grits his teeth again about the fact that's she still alive.

"She is, unfortunately Lady Vy." Italy sighs in relief, but is still nevertheless worried about her.

"Good. You know what to do." Wy says to her minion. He nods and picks the girl up by her collar of her dress. Heinrich calmly walks to the edge of the cliff, and dangles her above it. Italy's eyes widen as he gasps in shock.

"_Speranza_!"

"Mr. Veneziano, I'm going to give you a choice. If you agree to come with us right now, Heinrich won't make your dear Reader become dinner for the sharks. If you still say no, well you get the idea what happens next. What's your choice, Mr. Veneziano?" Italy looks at her, and then looks at Hope's dangling, bloodied, bruised body. He starts to shed more tears for her.

"I'll-"

"Don't you fucking dare give in, Italy!" Italy and Wy look toward Hope with her eyes open, breathing heavily. Despite her current situation, she still manages to smile at him.

"I will not let you throw your life away for me. And I know for a fact that everyone, especially Germany, wouldn't let you do it either. Please, stay strong, and hold you ground. For me-ah!" Hope says, but screams as she feels Heinrich's hand over her throat, choking her. She makes choking sounds as she weakly grabs his wrist with her hand. She digs her nails into his skin, hoping that he would remove his hand from her throat. Her legs move wildly as she tries to get out of his grip. Soon, her movements start to slow down, and her eyes start to slowly close.

"I'm...sorry...Italy, everyone. Please...forgive me." She whispers as her legs stop moving, and her hand drops to her side. Her eyes close, and she exhales her last breath.

"Finally. She shut her mouth for good. I told you I vould kill you. I alvays keep my promises. Good riddance."

"HOPE! NO!" Italy screams as loud as he can as he goes on his knees. Wy smiles at the sight of the Reader's limp and unmoving body.

"Wake up _bella_! Wake up please! _Speranza si prega di svegliarsi_ (Hope please wake up)!_ Si prega di non essere morto_ (Please don't be dead)!" Italy starts speaking in Italian while hyperventilating. His gasps turn into sobs as he cries hysterically for his friend.

"Do I still have to throw her over?"

"No. You may do as you wish with her. But make it quick. We already have the Italian in our possession, and I doubt he'll be going anywhere." Wy says as she looks at the crying Italian. Heinrich nods, then throws the young woman onto the ground. She rolls a few times, then stops with her back on the ground. He grins as he walks toward the young woman. He takes a few seconds to stare at her. Italy is panicking at the sight in front of him. _Speranza was right. She didn't make it. Now what am I supposed to do? I can't be here by myself! I'm scared! Someone help me!_

_Italy, I need you to listen to me carefully. If I do end up dying at the end of this, run straight to the others as fast as you can. Don't hesitate for a moment. Run immediately and not a second later. Don't look back for my sake. Focus on getting back to your brother, Germany, Japan, and the others._

_I almost forgot what she told me! I promised her that I would run away as her last request! I know what I have to do now! Molte grazie Speranza. _(Thank you very much Hope)

"_Auf Wiedersehen Hoffnung_." Heinrich says as he's about to put his foot onto her neck. He raises his foot, and is about to unleash the finishing blow when suddenly Italy gets up and starts running. Wy and Heinrich are shocked and surprised by his sudden actions.

"Don't just stand there! Go after him! Our master requires us to bring him back with us!" Heinrich nods and runs after him. Italy takes a couple steps until he bumps into something. He freaks out, and starts to beg for his life.

"Please don't shoot me, I don't want to die! And what if I don't die but I am just mortally wounded and forced to lie in a pool of my own blood? I'll do anything, well, I mean within reason, I don't want to die! Please I'm a virgin! Where do you think they get virgin olive oil from? You're not supposed to kill a virgin! We're pathetic enough as it is!"

"Italy, calm down! It's me!" Italy stops begging and freaking out. He looks up and his eyes widen in shock.

"Germany? Is that really you?"

"_Ja._ It's me." Italy says nothing but grabs and hugs him like there's no tomorrow, while sobbing onto his shoulder. Germany blushes at the gesture and awkwardly hugs him back. Germany lets him go, and inspects him for injuries.

"Are you alright, Italy?"

"_Si_. I'm fine. How did you find me?"

"You can thank your _bruder_ for that."

"Hey potato bastard! You better not be hurting my _fratello_ with your barbaric potato eating hands!" Romano screams as he, America, and Japan manages to catch up to them.

"Itary_-san_. Are you arright?"

"Japan! Romano! America! You guys are here too!"

"Duh! I am the hero after all! Why wouldn't I?

"We came as soon as we courd to herp you and Hope_-chan_."

"Speaking of which, where is _Speranza bella_? She was with you when I left her." Italy's eyes widen, and tears start to form in his eyes at the mention of the Reader. The others look at him with confused looks on their face. Italy runs towards America, and grabs his collar.

"_Speranza_! I almost forgot! Please help her!"

"Dude calm down! What's wrong?"

"_Speranza_ _bella's_ in big big trouble! You need to go look for her right away! Hurry!"

"Is she arright? What happened to you two before we came here?"

"You all are too late. The girl is good as dead." The group turn to see Heinrich, not very happy with the group's arrival. America bravely goes in front of the group and faces Heinrich. Italy goes behind Germany, and trembles in fear.

"Why did you say that? What the hell did you do to her?" America asks very seriously and angrily toward Heinrich. Heinrich smirks at the American.

"I just silenced her for good. She von't be in the master's vay anymore. Now, he vill be able to rule vithout any distractions."

"No way! She wouldn't have been defeated so easily! Especially by the likes of you!"

"That girl vas pathetic. She tried to defeat me vith some mediocre spells and a few kicks! Ha! That stupid bitch should have learned her place. She vould have lived longer if she vent back home instead of trying to play 'Hero'." Heinrich says arrogantly. America clenches his teeth and fists. Japan notices how furious he is. He puts a hand on his shoulder, causing America to look at him.

"Do not risten to him America_-chan_. He might be bruffing about Hope_-chan_ being dead. We need to go and find her, and herp her quickry." Japan says calmly toward the America. He takes a few deep breaths and nods.

"No one is going anyvhere unless you hand over the Italian."

"You vant him, then ve vill fight fair and square. Ve fight for him one on one. No weapons, no magic. Just hand to hand combat. If I vin, Italy stays with us."

"And if I vin?"

"You can take Italy vithout any problem vhatsoever." Italy jumps startled by Germany's proposal.

"But Germany-"

"You have a deal, Germany. Prepare to surrender the Italian." Heinrich says as he gets into a fighting stance.

"Japan, you and America run ahead and find Hope! Romano, take your _bruder_ home. Now!" Germany barks at the group. America and Japan waste no time, and starts to run to Hope. Romano takes his brother's hand, and leads him back to the house.

"C'mon Veneziano! Move_ idiota_!"

"Germany! You will come back, right?"

"Ja. I promise I vill. Now go vith Romano back to the house." Italy nods as he and Romano run back to the house. _Please be careful, Germany. I can't bear to lose you too._

Meanwhile, Wy is waiting impatiently for Heinrich to return.

"What is taking him so long? How hard it is to catch an Italian? I thought they get tired very easily. No matter, I guess I'll finish the job myself." Wy says as she walks to the body of the Reader. She stretches out her arm, and her paintbrush appears in her hand. She spins it in her hands a few times.

"I'm surprised you managed to fight for as long as you did. Such a shame your life had to end the way it did. The Phantom truly saw you as a young woman with so much promise. Of course, you're too damn stubborn and passionate about your friends to realize your full potential. Now, you will never know. You could have been such a great spell caster. However, you still refused even when your life was on the line. You had no choice, but to die. You will no longer intervene, or try ruin my master's plans any longer." Wy says as she grabs her paintbrush with both hands, and raises it over her head.

"By the order of my master, the Phantom, I must destroy you Hope Marianne Boyd. Now, die!" Wy says as brings her hands along with the paintbrush down towards her. Suddenly, a sword blocks her paintbrush from completing the task, catching her completely off guard.

"What?"

"I wirr not arrow you to hurt my friend any ronger!" Japan screams angrily as he pushes her back with his sword. She stumbles back by a couple of feet, but quickly regains her footing. He lands on the ground, and stands up with sword in hand, ready to attack if necessary. America comes in soon after. He stops and looks around for a bit. His blues eyes widen and he gasps as he sees the young woman on the ground, not moving at all.

"Hope! Dudette!" America screams as he rushes toward her. He slides onto the ground, and picks up her bloody, bruised, and beaten body.

"Hope, open your eyes! C'mon dude! Wake up!" He screams as he shakes the young woman's body frantically, but receives no reaction from her.

"I see. So you're some of her dear friends who she's so compassionate and devoted to. Come to say goodbye before she passes on? How sweet! It shouldn't be too long now."

"America_-chan_, how bad is she?"

"She has bruises and cuts everywhere! There's blood all over her, dude!"

"Is her chest moving up and down? Is she breathing?"

"No! Her lips are blue! Dude, she's not breathing! What if we're too late?"

"No! You must not think that yet America_-chan_! Do you hear a heartbeat?" America puts his ear to chest (while awkwardly blushing). He waits a few minutes, and hears a heartbeat. A weak heartbeat, but still a heartbeat.

"Yeah! It's kinda weak though."

"You can't save her! She's good as dead! Now get out of my way and let me finish the job!" Wy says as she runs toward Japan again, and tries to hit him with her paintbrush. Japan dodges and attacks with his sword. They engage is a very serious sword fight.

"Japan! What do I do now?"

"You have to get her to breathe. Give her CPR, then mouth to mouth!" Japan says as he's fighting Wy. America blushes a deep crimson color at the mention of mouth to mouth.

"WHAT? Why me? Can't we call Britain to do it?"

"_Igirsu_ wourd not arrive here in time to save her. You are the onry one who can do it, America_-chan_. Her rife is in your hands." Japan ask he swings his sword against Wy's paintbrush a few more times.

"But, but-"

"You arways say how you are the hero. Now is your chance to be one. You can do it, America_-chan_!" America looks at Japan, then back at Hope. He looks at her with a determined face. _Japan's right! I'm the hero, and heroes save people! Hope sees me as her hero. It's time to prove myself to her right now! _America carefully lays her back onto the ground, and puts both of his hands on her chest.

"One. Two. Three. Four. Five." America counts out loud as he presses his hands on her chest. He uses his fingers to pinch her nose. He presses his lips on hers to breathe air into her lungs. He stops to see if she's breathing. She is not still not breathing. He then tries again while blushing crimson red at the awkwardness. Japan and Wy are still going at it, swinging their weapons at each other. They jump away from each other to take a breather.

"Do you really think your friend over there can save her? What good is she to you if you do save her? She's just a weak, pathetic human who's trying to be a hero, and stop something that's out of her control. She was not going to last long in the first place, so why bring her back? She'll just be killed again by someone else my master sends out."

"You are wrong. Hope_-chan_ is not weak or pathetic. She is strong and royar. She is strong as a _samurai_ warrior, and I wirr not ret her die by the rikes of you!" Japan says as he runs toward her again to attack. Meanwhile, America is still giving her CPR, and mouth to mouth.

"Dammit Hope! Don't you dare give up on me! C'mon dude breathe! Please!" America begs as he finished pressing on her chest, then gives her mouth to mouth. He stops and see if she's breathing now. Unfortunately, she's still not showing any signs of breathing.

"Hope, please! You can't do this to us! We need you! I need you! Please! Just open those pretty brown eyes again!" America screams desperately as he gives her CPR and mouth to mouth again. Just when he starts to give up, she starts to cough as she gasps for air. America moves back to give her some space for her to breathe. Her chest rises up and down, causing America to sigh in relief. He slowly moves toward her.

"Hope?" She slowly opens her eyes, and looks at America. She weakly smiles as he comes into her view.

"America. You came. You really came." Hope whispers happily. America sighs in relief as he smiles widely. He quickly, but carefully takes her into his arms.

"Hope. Thank goodness, you're awake. I thought I was too late."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry. Wait, where's Italy? Is he okay?"

"Calm down. Italy's fine. Romano is taking him back to the house as we speak." Hopes closes her eyes as she sighs in relief.

"He's safe. Thank goodness."

"Are you alright? Does it hurt anywhere?"

"I'm fine. It's not as bad as it looks to be honest. It's all scratches and bruises. My wrist is broken because I can't move my arm without it hurting really badly." Hope says as tears start to form in her eyes.

"Hope? What's wrong?"

"He broke them."

"What did he break? Your ribs? Your legs?" Hope weakly shakes her head as tears start to fall from her eyes.

"No, my glasses. He stepped on them, and they broke. I've had them for three years, and now they're broken." _She almost died, and she's complaining about how her glasses are broken. _America silently chuckles to himself as he wipes away her tears.

"Hey, it's okay. Don't cry. We'll get you a new pair okay?" Hope nods weakly at him.

"Thank you for coming to our rescue. I really appreciate it."

"That's what friends are for! Sides, I'm your hero, right? So it's my job to save you when you're in trouble!"

"Right. How could I possibly forget about that? You are my hero."

"And don't you ever forget it! Hey Japan! She's breathing, and awake!"

"Good. Now take her back to the house so _Igirisu _can hear her. Keep her conscious untir you reached the house." America looks up at him in shock.

"But what about you?"

"I must take care of this stranger before I rejoin you arr. I assure you I wirr be fine. But you must get Hope_-chan_ back immediatery. We don't know if she has any internar injuries. The sooner you get her back, the better percentage she has of riving." America nods as he takes off his jacket, and covers her body with it. He then picks the girl up bridal style. Hope turns to Japan.

"Thank you so much Japan. Please be careful." Japan looks at her from the corner of his eye, and nods.

"I wirr Hope_-chan_. Prease get better soon." Hope weakly smiles and nods. America holds her tighter because he's afraid of dropping her, and wants her to be safe.

"Hold on. If anything hurts, don't hesitate to tell me, kay?"

"I will." America gives one last look to Japan, and then runs as fast as he can while making sure Hope is alright. Wy is not very pleased that Hope is alive, and got away.

"Dammit! How dare you destroy all of the progress I made! You will pay dearly for your interference!" Wy says angrily as her paintbrush starts to glow a dark aura. Japan gets into a fighting stance, ready to take on whatever she in store for him. While Japan is waiting for Wy to strike, Germany is carefully trying to understand his opponent while standing in a fighting stance. They may have different opponents, they may not know much about them, but one thing is clear to them:

They tried to kidnap their fellow friend and ally, and almost killed another. And they were sure as hell going to pay for that...possibly with their lives.

**_And that's chapter! So read and review! And happy early father's day to all the dads out there! Until next time!_**

**_~Hopefaith2_**


	10. The Battles of Wit and Strength

_**Hello everyone! I'm back from my little vacation. I know you're mad that I haven't updated in a while, and I apologize. I had a lot of personal issues over the summer that's somewhat getting resolved, as well as school, which started in August, and I got a job at Party City! They actually let you dress up in costumes! How cool is that?! Anyways, I'm sorry, and I hope you forgive me. So a few announcements before I start: 1. I am not discontinuing or abandoning this story! some of you guys might have gotten the impression that I had, but I assure you, I'm not. I had to swear that I wouldn't abandon this. 2. Thank you for the guys that sent me messages to check up on me. You guys know who you are. That was so sweet, and I was really touched by the messages, so thank you from the bottom of my heart. and 3. This chapter is not one of my best. I admit it. A lot of you guys might be disappointed with how this went, and you have every right to be. I don't do very well with fight scenes, but I will try to get better. Major thanks to EliteKessu for pretty much betareading this for me! So, here's chapter 10! Read and review, and enjoy!**_

**Subplot Three: Hope's Sunday off: Italy & His Lost Love**

**Part 3: The Battles of Wit and Strength**

Unknown Part of The Forest: Present Day 2012

Japan vs. Wy

The sound of a sword clanking against the wood on a paintbrush can be heard throughout the forest. Wy and Japan are going at each other as much as possible. Wy is fighting as hard as she can with her paintbrush in fear. She knows that if she fails with her task, then dire consequences will head her way. Japan on the other hand has an emotionless expression on his face. He still continues to follows the way of the samurai, even after all these years.

"Who are you? And why are you doing this?"

"I'm the Principality of Wy. Unlike you, I am not an official nation. I am, what you call a micronation. And my intentions for doing this is none of your concern since you won't live long enough to find out why."

"Why are you working for him? Is there anyone else working for the Phantom?"

"You think I'm going to tell you everything I know so easily? The only way I'm telling you anything is if you defeat me." Wy said as they jump away from each other to catch their breath. Japan takes a deep breath, and looks at his opponent.

"Then I sharr defeat you to find out the information you are hiding." Japan says sternly to the micronation as he prepared to face her yet again. Wy smirks at her opponent.

"You could use some color in your life. Allow me to help you with that!" Wy swings her paintbrush, causing paint to fly toward Japan. Japan dodges the paint, and jumps away from it. The paint drops on the ground, confusing Japan.

"Paint. Surery that cannot be your big pran."

"Maybe you should watch the paint instead of talking, my fellow nation." Wy says as the paint slowly turns into figures that are reminiscent to the pictonians. Japan's eyes widen at the paint slowly forming into figures.

"Do you like my little paint blots, Japan? You see, not every masterpiece can be as complex and amazing as Heinrich is. Sometimes, art can be simplistic to have that same powerful effect on a person. And Japan, you will be experiencing first hand how art, whether simple or complex, can have a lasting effect on you. Now, my lovely pieces of work, destroy him!" Wy screams as the paint blots obey her command and rush toward Japan. Japan readies his sword and waits for the blots to make their move. The paint blots run toward him. They throw punches and kicks left and right at Japan. Japan dodges them easily, and proceeds to slice through one blot with his sword. The blot's remains are spilled onto the ground. Japan does not show any sign of happiness as the blot is defeated. Suddenly, two smaller versions of the original blot are created from the one that was split. Japan's eyes widen in shock.

"You silly little man. Did you honestly think that my creations can be defeated easily with just a swipe of a sword? Pathetic. And I thought you were the sensible one of the group." Japan's grip on his sword tightens in anger and determination.

"No matter, you and your pathetic resistance will all end up the same way. My master will defeat you all, and then the world will be his."

"No. Regardress of how my situation rooks, I wirr not rose to you. We wirr not ret your master win. We wirr defeat you and your master at arr costs!"

"Is that the Imperial Japan talking or is that Samurai in you that refuse to give up even though you know you will fail?"

"I assure you that I am the same, whether Imperiar and Samurai. My varues and beriefs have remain unchanged as time went by. I wirr not surrender or rose to you."

"You won't have to surrender or lose if you choose wisely."

"What?"

"What I am about to offer you Japan, is a chance at greatness. A chance at supremacy and leadership. All you have to do to attain all this is pledge your eternal allegiance to my master. Once you do that, all of your wildest dreams will come true. Don't make the same mistake the stupid human did. That mistake can cost you your life. So what do you say? Will you take my offer?"

"Absorutery not! I wirr not join your and your corrupted master! What your master is doing is wrong. He is damaging history and hurting innocent rives just for his own serfishness. That human who you said was stupid for refusing to join you made the right choice. She is trying to save it because she knows it is wrong. History is not something to be tampered with." Wy rolls her eyes at Japan's speech. She sighs heavily as she looks down, then back at Japan while shaking her head.

"Fine. It's your funeral. Attack!" Japan readies his sword as he watches the blots run toward him to attack him once more. As the blots attack him once more, he dodges them with much ease. He stops to catch his breath, but one blot catches him off guard. He manages to hit on his arm before Japan dodges the blot. Paint that emitted from the blot managed to get on his sleeve. Japan thinks nothing of it, until a painful sensation starts on the arm covered with paint. He drops his sword and grasps his arm in pain.

"Oh? Did I forget to mention that the paint is poisonous? It paralyzes any body part it touches, like you arm for example. Looks like you won't be able to hold your sword anymore." Wy says with a smug look on her face. Japan takes deep breaths as he slowly gets up from the ground while still grasping his paralyzed arm.

"Last chance Japan. Surrender now, and join us. I'll spare your life if you do."

"For the rast time, I wirr not join you! Not now! Not ever!"

"I assure you, you will not win. Your arm in which you hold your sword in is paralyzed. There is no chance that you will defeat."  
Japan does not seem fazed by her words. In fact, he's actually smiling, much to her shock and dismay.

"For a micronation, you are wonderfur."

"Thank you. I've worked very hard to become so."

"I admit, you might be be more crever than I."

"If that is true, then why are you smiling?"

"I am not reft handed." Japan says with a smirk as he kicks his sword in the air, and catches it in his right hand, slowly turning his smile into a devious grin. Wy's mouth literally drops, and her red eyes widen at the sight of Japan gaining the upper hand. She grits her teeth, and clenches her hand into a fist as her grip on her paintbrush becomes tighter.

"Kill him now!" Wy screams at her minions. The blots all rush toward Japan once again. Japan smirks again as he runs past each blot while beautifully dodging the paints that is thrown at him. Instead of attacking the blots like he did before, he makes Wy his new target. Wy puts her defenses up as she sees him coming her.

"You won't defeat me that easily!"

"That is where you are wrong, rittre one." Japan says as he throws his sword with pin point accuracy directly at her face. Wy puts her paintbrush up to block the sword, which does the job quite nicely.

"Ha! It seems that you're the one wrong here, old man. I guess time really is your enemy huh, old timer?" Wy says as she smirks and rubs it in his face, but he, and his sword are nowhere to be found. Wy starts to get nervous and scared as the minutes go by without any sign of him.

"You shouldn't ret your fear get the best of you." Wy turns around and widens her red eyes as she sees Japan striking her with his sword. The force of his strike literally pushes her onto the ground . She drops the paintbrush, and it rolls toward Japan's feet.

"Destroying this infernar thing shourd revert your creations into regurar paint." Japan says as he kicks the paintbrush in the air, and slices it in half. The blots rush toward him (Makes you wonder what they were doing this whole time) scream in pain and agony, as they slowly melt and revert back into blots of paint. The paint on his sleeve also loses it's power, and Japan realizes that he could use his left arm again. Wy looks up from the ground, with red eyes wide as Japan breaking her brush. She becomes hysteric with fear.

"NO! My brush! My creations! Do you realize what you've done?!" Wy says as she slowly gets up from the ground. She has some cuts and bruises as she runs to her paintbrush. She tries to fix the broken paintbrush, but to no avail.

"No! Please! Please! Stick together! Please!" Wy screams desperately with tears in her eyes that are falling down her cheeks.

"You have failed, Wy." Wy looks up instantly at sound of the voice, and turns to her left to see the one person she dreaded the most.

"M-master." Wy whispers in fear as she sees a man wearing a black cape that covers everything except his face, his dark green pants, his black boots, and a white mask that covers said face.

"Master, I can explain-"

"Silence! You only had one job, and that was to bring me Italy Veneziano. I thought that would be easy to handle because of his ditzy, crybaby personality. But alas, you couldn't even do that right, could you?" The Phantom says as he slowly walks toward her.

"But master! That damn reader got involved, and then got reinforcements to help! We were about to finish her off, and grab the Italian until he came along!" Wy said desperately as she pointed to Japan. The Phantom stops and looks at Japan for a few seconds. Japan gives no emotion on his face as they have an intense stare off for a few moments. The Phantom looks back at Wy to see her smirking.

"You mean the reader who I said was very passionate and caring about her friends got involved? Now that's a shocker indeed. Spare me the excuses Wy."

"But...but."

"You fail me for the last time, Wy. And now, you must be punished." The Phantom says as he snaps his fingers, turning her red eyes back to her original color. Wy starts to tremble in fear and tears starts to fall from her eyes.

"Please don't hurt me! Please!" The Phantom smirks at her begging, and finds it somewhat enjoyable.

"Hurt you? I'm not going to hurt you dear. I'm going to kill you!" He says as he starts to cast a very big and powerful dark energy ball toward her. Japan watches the interaction, wondering what will she'll do to counter this. Wy stays in the same position she's in, waiting for death to come to her. He releases the dark energy ball toward the micro nation. Suddenly at the last minute, the ball hits it's target, but there was no body, or remains in sight.

"You would intervene, wouldn't you Japan?" He turns around to see Japan in a different spot then before with his ex-minion in his arms.

" I courdn't ret you hurt someone erse. Even if it was your minion."

"I see. Well I couldn't care less. She's your problem now. Hope you don't regret saving her." The Phantom says he is once again surrounded by a dark aura, and disappears. Japan sets the girl down carefully.

"Are you arright?" Wy nods at the Japanese man. Japan nods back, and puts his sword back in it's sheath.

"We must go find Mr. Germany, and then go back to the others. Ret's go." Japan says as he turns away and walks back the way he came.

"W-wait." Japan turns around to see Wy standing there in shock, with her broken paintbrush in her hands.

"Why did you save me? Why didn't you let me die?" Japan looks at her with his emotionless face for a few seconds, and turns around.

"You have the answers to our questions." Japan says bluntly as he continues walking. Wy looks around, hoping to see someone or something, but doesn't. She takes a deep breath and follows Japan.

Germany vs. Heinrich

Unlike Japan and Wy, who are mostly using their words as weapons, Germany and Heinrich are full blown using their fists to do the talking for them. Neither men have gone unscathed from this. Both men are sporting bruises and cuts from their others' attacks. Germany mostly has bruises on his arms because he used his arms to block most of Heinrich's punches and kicks. Heinrich also has bruises on his arms, and on his chest.

"It seems that ve are evenly matched in strength." Germany says as he's panting with fists still in the air, ready to defend and fight like a true soldier.

"Ja. It seems ve are. That is no surprise _mein Sohn_ (My son)."

"Vat do you mean by that? And vy are you calling me your son?"

"Ve are more alike than you could possibly imagine."

"Vat do you mean by that?! Stop talking in these riddles, and answer me with a straightforward answer."

"I see now. Big _bruder_ Prussia or those other countries never told you the truth about your past? Vat a shame."

"Vat in the hell are you talking about?!" Germany says calmly toward him with his stern face. Heinrich smirks at the German, absolutely loving the fact that he doesn't know.

"Are you sure you vant to know? I don't think you can handle vat I have to say."

"As if anything you say could actually have an effect on me."

"You may vant to choose your words visely from now on."

"And vy is that you pathetic excuse for a man?"

"Because..." Heinrich's smirk becomes much wider and more sinister than before. Germany's fist clenches tighter and his eyes narrow even harder at Heinrich than before.

"You're going to have to find out before I can tell you."

"Vy von't you tell me. Perhaps you vere bluffing."

"Nein. I rather you found out for yourself. I am a decent man."

"Decent? No man vith the slightest bit of decency in his soul vouldn't do half the things you've done. No man vith decency would have threaten a person the way you did." Germany says sternly, slowly losing his temper as he think about Italy and Hope and what they went through.

"I only did vat I had to to achieve my goal. Surely you out of all people should know that."

"I do not hurt or kill people I care about along the vay to achieve said goal. I have morality. Integrity."

"And I don't have any of that? Vere do you think you got it from? It did not come out of the blue."

"Regardless, I still have those traits.

"Do you really think you can defeat me?" Heinrich says as he runs toward Germany with full intention of punching him in the face. Germany grabs his arms and twists it.

"My fighting technique has changed over time." Germany says sternly as he elbows him in the face, and punches him in the stomach. He finishes it with a strong kick to his face, knocking some teeth out of his mouth, and blood from his nose and mouth. Heinrich falls onto the ground with a grunt. He spits the teeth and blood from his mouth, and wipes the remaining blood on his face with his hand. Heinrich recovers from the attacks as he gets up from the ground. He spits a small amount of blood from his mouth, and rushes toward Germany again. The german once again dodges and attacks him, but is having a harder time hitting him for some reason. Heinrich smirks and he gets better and faster at dodging the German's punches and kicks. Germany kicks once more, but his leg is caught. Heinrich snickers as he spins him around using his leg, and throws him against a few trees. Germany lands on them really hard, creating some more bruises, and cuts, and even a splinter or two. Heinrich laughs at his failed attempts to get up from the wreckage.

"Pathetic. The great Germany has fallen so very easily." Heinrich says mockingly as he walks toward him. He spots something shiny on the floor, and realizes it's Germany's gun. He picks it up with a smirk on his face, and checks to see if it's loaded. It is and he points it at his face.

"Shame you had to go like this, but ve all can't have great deaths. Farevell Germany. I'll let the Italian know that you died vain." Heinrich says as he is about to pull the trigger.

"That's enough Heinrich." Heinrich turns to the sound of the voice, and sees it's the Phantom. Heinrich turns right back around to the injured German.

"Go avay. I don't take orders from you."

"You do now, so I suggest you follow them or else you'll end up like your creator." Heinrich turns his head towards him instantly at the mention of his creator.

"Vat are you talking about? Vat happened to Lady Vy?"

"She's no longer with us, and you'll join her if you don't put the gun down and come with me. You failed your mission in grabbing the Italian, and killing him won't do us much good, now will it?" Heinrich clenches the gun angrily as he throws it down and walks away.

"This time, I had no choice but to spare your life. Next time, you von't be so lucky, Germany." Heinrich says as he and the Phantom are surrounded by a dark aura, and disappears. Germany slowly gets up from the wreckage, and assess the damage on him. A couple of cuts and bruises, and even a splinter or two, but he'll manage. He picks up his gun, and puts it back in his pocket.

"Mr Germany! You are arright?" Germany turns his head to see Japan walking toward him, calmly as ever.

"Ja. I am fine. But the damn thing go avay thanks to the Phantom guy." Germany says as he stops and sees someone else walking with him.

"Japan, who is this?"

"This is the young girr who created the thing you went up against. This is Wy."

"Hello." She says in a small voice, mostly out of fear for the German.

"And she is vith us vy?"

"The Phantom was about to kirr her, untir I stepped in. I figure we courd get some answers and information from her that wirr herp us on our journey." Germany nods and gives a glare at the young child, who starts to tremble at his intimidation.

"Fine. Let's go." Germany says as he, Japan, and Wy walk back together.

America and Hope

America is never the type to show his worries and fears. He's a hero. And heroes were never supposed to show fear, no matter what was in his way. Even when he was in the Cold War with Russia, he never showed one ounce of fear towards him. But this time is a different story. He is literally scared out of his mind as he continues running like his life depends on it while carrying his beloved citizen, his reminder of everything he stood for, and his newest friend's injured body in his arms. He's afraid that he won't get there in time to save her, but he can't think that now. Heroes always stay positive! Even when the situation looks bleak! He's also afraid that his friend Japan might end up the same way as her. But he knows that's a silly fear! Japan could easily handle himself, as well as Germany. His thoughts are interrupted when he sees her starting to lose consciousness.

"C'mon Hope. You gotta stay awake, okay?" America says to her sincerely, trying to hide the desperation and worry in his voice.

"But...I'm...so...sleepy." Hope says as loud as she could as she struggles to keep her eyes open.

"I know you are, but you need to stay awake. Pretty please?" He gets a small, chuckle and smile from her. It may not be a lot to some people, but to America, it is more than enough.

"I'll...try." Hopes yawns once more as she continues her struggle to stay conscious.

"Hey Hope, if you can keep awake till we get back to the house, I promise you get to sleep as much as you want." Hope looks up at him warily.

"Promise?"

"I promise. And heroes never break promises." America says while flashing her his famous smile. Hope smiles back weakly but shuts her eyes and winces.

"Hope? Are you okay? What hurts?" America says panicky as he stops and looks her over.

"You're kinda holding onto my wrist a bit too hard."

"Oh. I'm really sorry about that." America says as he releases his tight grip on her wrist, and she slowly and carefully pulls her broken wrist toward her chest.

"It's alright." She leans into his chest and slowly closes her eyes. _This isn't good. We're only halfway there, and she's already losing consciousness. I need to think of something to keep her awake. I'm the hero! I have to save her!_

"Hope, don't fall asleep. If you do, you won't get to sleep when we get back." Hope opens her eyes warily.

"Sorry. It's just really hard to stay awake."

"I know it is, but you gotta stay awake. For me?" Hope looks up at America warily. He may not have shown it, but she knows he is begging her to stay awake. Hope smiles, and nods at him.

"Okay. I'll stay awake for you." America smiles widely at her words. And he slowly starts to get an idea.

"Hey! Why don't you tell me about your college?"

"My college? What do you want to know about it?"

"Everything. Your friends, your sports, your dorm, you classes. That's it! Tell me about the classes you're taking." Hope nods as she begins to talk about the classes she's taking so far in her second semester. America is secretly relived that she's focusing on something else instead of her tiredness. He runs even faster than before just in case she can't keep up talking for long and the urge to sleep comes back to her with a vengeance. After a few minutes of talking about her classes, she stops talking and looks away, worrying America instantly. America looks down to see Hope with a guilty look on her face, really throwing him off.

"Hope? Are you-"

"I'm so sorry America."_  
_

"What? Why are you apologizing?"

"This is all my fault. If I hadn't kept my big mouth shut, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"Hope, it wasn't your fault. You are as much as a victim in this as Italy."

"But if I hadn't opened my big mouth and flat out talk about Holy Rome being dead, Italy wouldn't have ran away. If Italy hadn't ran away, he wouldn't ran into that fake. You see my point?"

"But Hope-"

"Don't you get it America? None of this wouldn't have happened if I kept my damn mouth closed. Italy wouldn't have known the heartbreaking truth, he wouldn't have been almost kidnapped by the Phantom, Japan and Germany wouldn't have to be fighting for their lives, and you wouldn't have to be taking care of me, the cause of this damn mess. If anyone should take the blame for this, it should be me. I'm so sorry, and I know sorry doesn't make it any better, or make the whole thing go away as if it never happened. I just wanted you to know how I'm sorry I am. So very sorry for this." Hope says sincerely as tears slowly start to fall from her eyes, unable to look at America directly out of shame.

"Hope, look at me. Please." America says softly and sincerely as possible. Hope slowly looks up at him as her face is stained with tears.

"This is not your fault." Hope opens her mouth to retort, but is cut off by America.

"Don't even try to argue with me. This isn't your fault. This was something that was out of your control. You didn't know this was going to be happen. You didn't tell him on purpose, nor did you created that Hein dude to kidnap Italy or to kill you. I don't blame you for this. Not one bit. Neither does Germany, Japan, or anyone else. And I know Italy definitely doesn't blame you for this. You saved his life by almost giving up yours. The only one to blame for this is the Phantom. Don't ever forget that. Okay?" Hope nods as they finally manage to reach the house.

"Can I go to sleep now?"

"Yes Hope. You can."

"Thanks. You'll be here when I wake right?"

"Of course. I'm not leaving you. Heroes never leave anyone." Hope smiles and slowly closes her eyes.

Italy Veneziano and Italy Romano

"Romano! Veneziano! You two are alright! _¡Gracias a Dios! _(Thank god)" Spain screams cheerfully. He doesn't even wait till they reach the door. He runs outside to meet then a few feet from the house. He hugs Romano first as tight as ever. While Romano complains and curses him out as usual, he's secretly happy and grateful to see Spain again. He then hugs Italy, who is very grateful for the hug, but isn't really in the mood for it. Spain lets go to check both of them for injuries.

"Are you two alright? Does anything hurt?"

"Lay off tomato bastard. I'm fine. You make me sound a damn weakling! You okay Veneziano?" Romano says as he turns to his younger brother, who hasn't said a word since he came back. Italy nods as he walks into the house, not making a sound as he enters. Romano and Spain look on in shock, which quickly turns into worry.

"Romano, is he okay?"

"I don't really know, tomato bastard. He hasn't said a word since we left the potato bastard and them behind." Spain looks back at the house, worried about Italy. He then realizes something, and proceeds to look around and behind Romano.

"What the hell are you looking for tomato bastard?" Spain stops looking around, and looks to Romano.

"Lovi, where's _Esperanza_? Didn't she come back with you?"

"No. She didn't."

"Then where is she?" Romano's face pales as he looks away from him in shame. Spain starts to get impatient and angry at him.

"Lovi, I asked you a question."

"I know you did. I just...don't know the answer."

"What do you mean you don't know? You went back to get help for her! To find her! You brought your brother back safe and sound, but not the girl who saved your brother?"

"Don't you think I fucking know that! I left her like she asked me to dammit! I left her alone with that thing! And when we got there, he said that he silenced her for good, Spain! For good! He was basically telling us that he killed her! He fucking killed her! Dammit! If I had only been there! If I only gotten there sooner with that damn potato bastard! I could have done something to help her! Anything! She could be dead and it would be all my fault! _Stupido_! _Stupido_!"

"That's enough Romano!" Spain says very angrily, silencing him. Romano gives a look of shock with widened eyes as he stops talking, and looks at Spain. Spain slowly takes him in his arms and hugs him. Romano puts a little fight against him, but succumbs and cries on his shoulder as Spain rubs his back soothingly.

"Romano. _Esperanza_ will be fine. She's a strong, smart _senorita_, and pretty too! She'll be okay."

"Spain! Romano dude! I need your help!" America's voice rings through them and possibly the whole forest. Spain and Romano look to see America carrying a badly injured Hope in his arms. Spain and Romano's eyes widen at the sight.

"_Esperanza_!" Spain screams as he runs toward them.

"Is she..."" Romano asks in a small voice, assuming the worse.

"No dude! She's sleeping! I need Britain and China!"

"They're inside! I'll show you! Quickly!" Spain says as he and America rush inside, leaving Romano outside, still in shock. Romano gets out of it, and follows behind them.

_**So that was chapter 10. And I forgot one more thing! In a few chapters, I was planning on doing a Q&A with the cast of 'The Reader'. If you like the idea of that, then here's what you gotta do. Send me a PM of questions for any of the protagonists that are featured in this story as of now. Here's the rules:**_

_**1. Each person gets to ask a maximum of five questions. **_

_**2. The highest rating they can be is T. I have kids reading this fanfiction you know?**_

_**3. You must send a PM. It's much easier for me then to look at the Reviews to find each question.**_

_**4. It has to be related to the story. Not directly related, but somewhat related to it.**_

_**And that's it! Now, if you excuse me, I have to get on my train to school. So I'm signing out! Until next time!**_

_**~Hopefaith2**_


	11. The Reconciliation

_**Hello everyone! Hopefaith2 here! I have a couple of reasons why it took me so long to update. Firstly, the day after I updated chapter 10, my grandmother passed away at the age of 71. I kinda took off time to grieve, mourn, and to understand and accept her death. Secondly, I work at Party City for the Halloween season, so I get a lot of hours. On the plus side, we get to eat candy, and to dress up in costume. I was Princess Aurora. lol The little girls loved it, the boys...not so much. Thirdly, my birthday was on October 13th. I'm officially nineteen years old! Happy belated to me! And lastly, Hurricane Sandy. As you guys know, it really hit the Tri State Area hard. I live in New York, and m,ost of us lost power, and there was flooding and all that. I got off school for a week! So those are my reasons for such lateness, and for this chapter not being good. I'm just giving you guys a heads up about why this chapter isn't my best per say. So give me a belated birthday gift and read, review and enjoy!**_

**Subplot Three: Hope's Sunday off: Italy & His Lost Love**

**Part 4: The Reconciliation  
**

The House: Present Day 2012

Three Days Later

Three days has passed since the Henrich/Wy incident. Almost everyone is trying to adjust in the aftermath. Unfortunately, it's more easier for some than others.

The Axis Forces were adjusting the hardest, especially poor Italy. He hasn't said a word, Italian or English, smiled, or even tried to make Pasta since then. It's serious when Italy hasn't even made not one plate of Pasta in three days. Because of that, Romano has been worrying constantly over his little brother, which causes him to stress out, which in turn, worries Spain. Germany has been more quiet than usual. It can be assumed since Italy is not doing something stupid or ridiculous, the German doesn't have a reason to scream his head off at him. Most would assume that he would enjoy this time of peace and silence, but if it were under better circumstances, he would be. At times, his mind wander back to the fight with Heinrich, and his words about the German's past. What is it that Prussia didn't tell him, and why didn't he tell him in the first place? Why did he keep it from him? The thoughts wouldn't be for long as he would tried as hard as he can to cheer up his dear friend (which is really hard for him to do since he doesn't even smile himself). Japan, who in my opinion has a better chance in cheering Italy up, also tried to help Germany cheer him. But nothing they could do could lift Italy out of this state of Depression. Romano and Spain tried as well, but there's so much one can do. Austria didn't even try to cheer him up. He figured this is something that only Italy can do on his own when he was ready. So he instead went to the music room and play beautiful pieces from Beethoven, Mozart, and the like.

The Allied Forces were having an easier time adjusting than the Axis. Russia and China were outside, enjoying the beautiful weather chatting away. One could say that those two were the only ones in somewhat of a good mood. Canada was in the kitchen, eating pancakes while trying to get his pet bear, Kumajiro, to remember his name. It doesn't help that he can't remember his bear's name either. Britain and France are in the living room together, surprisingly not fighting or arguing one another. Britain is reading one of his Sherlock Holmes books while France is drinking a cup of wine. The youngest and loudest member of the Allied Forces is shockingly sitting in a bedroom in absolute silence. Yes, America, the country who can never keep his mouth silent for more than five minutes, is sitting in a bedroom quietly. He is currently sitting in a chair next to a bed, watching it intently to make sure the inhabitant is alright. If you haven't guessed by now, the sleeping inhabitant is Hope. He said he would stay with her, and he damn sure is going to keep it.

Hope's Bedroom: Present Day, 2012

Hope Marianne managed to be brought back by America safe and sound. Her injuries range from cuts and bruises to a broken wrist, a few broken ribs and a stab wound at her stomach. Britain managed to heal all of her most serious injuries using his magic, while China used his ancient Chinese medicine to bandage up her minor injuries. She has a few bandages on her face, and a black eye on her right eye. Her left hand, wrist, and part of her arm are in a cast to help her broken wrist. Britain didn't have enough magic to every injury, so they decided to leave the wrist injured. They would put it in a cast, seeing as her healing magic would heal it in a matter of a week or so. Indeed, it had been a very quiet and grim three days...but those days were about to come to an end. Suddenly, her door is knocked on by France. America doesn't even look up from her to acknowledge him.

"___Amérique_? I made lunch. Would you like some?" France says as he stands in the doorways, watching the two of them warily.

"No thanks. I'm not hungry." America says, not once taking his eyes off the sleeping reader. France sighs as he walks toward, and puts a hand on his shoulder.

"___Amérique_, you must eat. _Espérance_ would want you to eat. She will be fine. She's a strong _mademoiselle, __non?_"

"I know, but I gave her my word that I wouldn't leave her. And I plan on staying right in this chair until she wakes up. I'm the hero, and heroes never go back on their word. And I have eaten." America says as he points to the pile of hamburger wrappers on the ground. France rolls his eyes at the wrappers.

"She will understand if you did leave her side to eat or sleep. You haven't eaten something authentic or slept in three days! She wouldn't want you to starve yourself, or lose sleep. She wouldn't want you to get sick over her. Heroes can't get sick, _non_?"

"I know but-"

"I understand how much you care for her. She is your citizen, a part of you. I would have been the same way if my _Jeanne_ was in the same way." France takes a deep breath at the mention of Joan Of Arc.

"But my _Jeanne _is not _Espérance_, nor vice versa. However, I do know _Espérance_ well enough to know that she would want you eating healthily, or what you consider is healthy, sleeping healthily, and being happy. Do you understand _mon ami_?" America sighs and smiles at France.

"I understand. I'll be down in five minutes." France nods and leaves her bedroom. As he leans against the wall, he wipes a few stray tears at the thought of his beloved Joan. _She may not be you, Jeanne, but she has your spirit and heart. _France clears his throat and smiles as he continues walking downstairs to the kitchen.

Hallway nearby Italy's bedroom: Present Day 2012

"Veneziano! You_ idiota_! Open this damn door!"

"Lovi? What are you doing?" Antonio says as he sees Romano knocking as softly as possible (for Romano anyways) on Italy's door. Romano stops and turns to look at him.

"What does it look like tomato bastard?! I'm knocking on my stupid_ fratello's_ door! Open up _idiota_!"

"Lovi? What if Veneziano isn't in his room?"

"Bullshit! He has to be there! There's nowhere else he could go!" Romano says as he continues knocking on his brother's door. Spain softly grabs his hand and pulls it away from the door.

"Spain! What the-"

"Lovi, Italy went through a very traumatic experience a few days ago. He had to find out the truth about Holy Rome after all this time, was lied to by someone pretending to be Holy Rome, and almost lost someone else important to him. I know you're worried about your _hermano_, but he needs time alone to heal and understand everything that happened."

"But-"

"Give him time. He'll come out when he's ready to." Romano knows Spain is right. He turns back at the door, and walks away to the kitchen.

"Fine. But that _idiota_ better come out soon!" Spain smiles and follows him to the kitchen.

Kitchen: Present Day 2012

In the kitchen, all the members (with the exemption of Italy and Hope) are eating lunch silently. To say it is an awkward silence is a understatement for this situation.

"So." Germany starts as he breaks the silence in the room, surprising everyone.

"Hope. How is she doing?" Britain takes a few seconds to recover, and clears his throat from drinking his tea.

"Well um she's doing fine. Her most serious injuries are healed. She has a few cuts and bruises, a black eye, and a broken wrist."

"A bloken wlist? Wourdn't that affect her abirity to use her magic?" Japan asks curiously as he eats his sashimi.

"Well yes, but her healing magic should heal her wrist. Since she's a beginner, it may take longer for it to completely heal in comparison to an expert like myself."

"I see. And Itary. What of him?" Japan asks in concern for his friend. The whole room becomes quiet at the mention of the European country. They all turn to Romano, hoping he would know what is of his younger brother.

"I don't know. I haven't heard a peep from him or from his room since we brought him back."

"Zis is bad _mon amis_. Zere's ze fake 'oly Rome running around,_Espérance_ is injured, and my sweet little Italy is no one to be found or 'eard. What do we do now?"

"This is var, France. Something you vouldn't know much about since you alvays lose."

"'ey!"

"Ve must pick up our losses, change our tactics, un fight again. First thing first, ve must find Italy, un then get Hope back on her feet."

"As nice as that sounds Germany, I already beat you to the getting back on my feet part. But thank you for being so concerned about my health." The group's eyes are widen in shock at the sound of a feminine voice that's not France's. They turn to the sound of the voice to find Hope, leaning on the rail with her left hand. On her left arm is a small cast that goes from the palm of her hand to a couple of inches past her wrist. She has a couple of bandages on her face and arms. A black eye has formed on her right eye. She's wearing a white shirt and pink pajama pants. Her hair is an extreme mess due to bed hair. Regardless, she has a smile on her face. America slowly stands up and slowly walks toward the stairs.

"Hope?" She puts her right hand on her hip and smiles sincerely at him.

"Hello Alfred. While I'm touched and thankful that you stayed by my side,you left a shitload of nasty hamburger wrappers on my floor and-" Hope doesn't get to finish her sentence as America wraps his arms around her, catching her completely off guard.

"You're awake. Thank goodness." America says softly as he holds her tighter. Hope blushes deep crimson at the hug.

"Of course. I'm the Reader, right? If I went down that easily, I might be out of a job." Hope says jokingly as she giggles.

"Screw the job. Your safety is more important to me than that damn job." America says seriously as he lets her go and inspect her to see if Britain and China missed any injuries. Hope blushes at his concern, and rolls her eyes at his overprotective behavior.

"America, they got them all. I'm fine. Honest."

"Of course you're fine! Thanks to the hero!" Hope smiles sincerely knowing the America she knows is back.

"Yeah. I have to say thank you America. And to Germany, Japan, and all you guys. Thank you for saving me a couple of days ago. And Romano." Hope says as she slowly walks down the remaining stairs with America's help (that wasn't asked for by the way.) She slowly makes her to Romano, who looks at her in shock. She smiles and hugs him tightly.

"Thank you so much or listening to me. I know it was hard to leave your brother like that, and the way I asked you wasn't very considerate at all. I probably shouldn't have asked you much more sincere and nicer than the way I did. But I'm glad you did. I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for you. I owe you my life, Romano. Honestly." Hope says sincerely to Romano, which completely catches him off guard.

"But _Speranza, _Heinrich almost killed you."

"Yes he did. But I wanted to go up against him to give you more time. That was completely my choice, and I had to deal with the consequences. I'm just glad I had you to help me. _Grazie_." Hope says as she lets go and kisses his cheek in appreciation. Romano blushes lightly at the kiss, but turns away.

"_Prego_, but I should be thanking you _Speranza_. You saved my _fratello_, and almost died for it. I owe you."

"You don't owe me a thing! I'm the Reader. It's my job to help you guys through whateva. Sides, you're my friends. I gotta look out for my boys. Speaking of boys, where's Italy?" The group's happiness died with that question as the silence and sadness return. Hope notices the somber looks on their faces.

"What? Did I say something wrong?"

"_Cher_, no one knows about Italy. We haven't seen or heard him since you two came back." France says in a somberly tone. Hope says nothing and looks away. She takes a deep breath and looks back with a smile.

"I'm sure he's fine." The countries look at her with a shocked expression on their faces.

"But _Espérance-"_

"Trust me France. Italy will be back to being happy, ditzy, and obsessed with pasta and pretty girls before you know it. He just needs to find a way out of his grief and mourning. I was like him when my aunt died last year. I found a way out, and so will he." Hope says as she sits down at the table (with America's help, again unwanted or unasked for) and eats some of the food prepared by France with the countries.

Kitchen: Present Day 2012

One Hour Later

"Are you sure you'll be alright, love?"

"Of course! I'll be fine." Hope says reassuringly to Britain as he and the rest of the countries (minus Italy) head out for reasons they won't say. They didn't want Hope to stay alone by herself, but they didn't want her to find out early on either.

"Look Hope, you can come along with us if you want. I don't want you to stay alone and unprotected either." America says, worried about his citizen's well being.

"America, I'll be fine. I may have a broken wrist, but I can still fight pretty well." Hope says smiling to the American. America smiles back at her, but he's still worried about her well being.

"Fine. But if you find yourself in any type of trouble, big or small, call me. You do have my number right?" Hope rolls her eyes yet again.

"Yes, I do. I have yours, as well as Japan's, Britain's, and France's."

"Good. Now seriously, if you find yourself in any trouble-"

"Call you as soon as possible. I know America! Jeez! Now get out before you miss whatever you have to do." Hope says as she pushes the American out the door. Surprisingly, she actually manages to push him out the door.

"Alright. We won't be gone for long. Be careful okay?" America says as he ruffles her hair. Hope raises her eyebrow and fixes her hair.

"I will. See you guys later!" Hope says as she waves to the countries as they walk away to do god knows what. Hope closes the door, and locks it. She walks into the kitchen and figures out an idea.

"Now what can I do until they get back? Maybe I can cook dinner for once to show my appreciation to them. But what to cook? Maybe I can cook some spaghetti or something." She says as she walks into the refrigerator and then the pantry to see what she has to use.

"So we got tomatoes, pasta, chicken, seasoning, spices, and Parmesan cheese. I can make Chicken Alfredo! That's perfect!" Hope says as she takes out the ingredients and put them on the table (after clearing off the table and cleaning the dishes). She takes out her laptop and looks up the recipe for making Chicken Alfredo from scratch. She finally finds a recipe and starts working. She puts a pot of water on top of the stove, and turns the stove on to the right setting. She then puts the chicken cutlets on the cutting board (after washing both the chicken and the cutting board) and starts cutting the chicken into little pieces while humming a very happy tune.

At that moment when the water in the pot started to boil, Italy's eyes instantly open. He sits up in such haste.

"I hear...boiling water. I smell...pasta." Italy says quietly to himself. He slowly gets out of the bed and opens his bedroom door. The smell of pasta becomes stronger at every slow step he takes toward the kitchen.

"Who's making pasta?" He says to himself as he reaches the last step on the staircase. His eyes widens as he sees Hope, looking much more healthy and better than the last time he saw her. She is breaking the pasta apart and dropping it into the pot while humming happily.

"Speranza." Italy whispers to the air. Hope stops breaking the pasta and turns around to see Italy. She smiles warmly at his presence and continues what she was doing before.

"Hey Italy. I'm making chicken alfredo to thank you and the rest of the guys for everything you've done for me. But, you are way more experienced in this than I. Maybe you can help me out a bit, if that's okay with you?" Hope says as she finishes putting the pasta in the pot and turns around to face him. Italy says nothing as he stares at her in shock. She walks toward him slowly and looks at him curiously.

"Italy? Are you alright?" Italy starts to tear up and tackles her, hugging her like there's no tomorrow. He starts to sob on her shoulder. Hope smiles and wraps her arms around her while saying soothing words to him.

"Now, will you help me make this Alfred for Germany, Japan, and the others?" Italy releases her from his death grip, and smiles once more.

"Si! Germany, Japan, and big brothers will be really happy!" Italy says as he runs over to the pot and mix the pot, cut the chicken, and makes the Alfredo sauce. Hope chuckles to herself and she looks on the scene.

"And Italy Veneziano is back. Hey! This was my idea! Stop taking over everything you pasta crazy fool!" Hope laughs as she walks toward Italy and the food. As they continue making the meal, they somehow got into a flour fight. They throw flour at each other, which landed everywhere in the kitchen. Once all is said and done, Hope and Italy are sitting on the kitchen floor, covered in flour. The kitchen is a mess, but they surprisingly managed to actually finish the alfredo in record time.

"Man, I can't believe we did this." Hope says as she wipes away tears while continuing to laugh.

"Germany is going to be so angry when he sees this!"

"Angry? That man is gonna be furious. That stick will finally come out of his ass, and he'll use it to beat us!" Hope screams as she and Italy starts to laugh uncontrollably at her joke. After a few minutes, the laughing dies down and the two sigh. They sit in silence for a few minutes.

"_Speranza_?" Hope turns her floured covered head towards Italy.

"I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I should have known Holy Rome was dead. Had I known, this could have been avoided."

"I'm sorry that you had to find out the way you did."

"But _Speranza_, you told me the truth! Now I don't have to wait anymore for Holy Rome. He's with _Nonno_ now!"

"_Nonno_?"

"Grandpa Rome! They're together in heaven with all the pasta and the pretty girls they like!" Hope smiles and puts one arm around him and brings him closer to her.

"You're right. And don't apologize for running off. I understand where you're coming from. I didn't react very well to the news of my Aunt's death. I cried for days and days after I found out. When I finished crying, I started lashing out against my family. I didn't wan to accept the fact that she wasn't around anymore. But, I finally learn to accept my aunt's death. It took me almost a year to accept it. I know you won't accept Holy Rome's death easily as well, but one day you will. And besides, you're my friend Italy. I always got your back. Always." Italy leans in on the hug and puts his head on her shoulder.

"Speranza, you won't leave me the same way Holy Rome did...will you?"

"Of course not. I don't plan on leaving you guys anytime soon."

"Pinky promise?" Italy says hopefully as he stick his pinky finger out for her. She smiles and wraps her pinky finger into his.

"Pinky promise."

"VAT ZE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?! LOOK VAT YOU HAVE DONE TO ZE KITCHEN?!" Germany roars at the two of them. Hope and Italy jump startled by the sudden outburst. Japan is standing next to him looking on in confusion and curiosity. Italy jumps up from the floor and runs toward Germany and Japan excitedly. He hugs the two of them tightly. He lets them go and jumps up and down happily.

"Germany! Japan! Speranza and I made chicken alfredo for you guys! It muy delizioso!"

"It's true. Es muy delicioso. And about the mess in the kitchen, I'll clean it up. It's my fault that this mess is here, so I'll take responsibility for-"

"Go vash off the flour before the other come back. I'll clean up the kitchen." Germany says suddenly, cutting Hope off.

"What?"

"You heard vat I said. Go take a shower un clean off the flour. I'll clean the kitchen."

"Hai. And I wirr herp you." Japan says, shocking Germany. He gives him a look of gratitude. Italy runs up the stairs happily.

"Grazie Germany!" Hope slowly walks to the staircase, passing Germany in the process.

"Hope." She stops at her name being called. She turns around and looks at him.

"Danke. For helping Italy." Hope smiles at the German, finally seeing that he actually does care about the cheery, ditzy, Italian. And maybe he's actually not that bad a of a guy. Well she wouldn't say that to his face.

"You're welcome, Germany. It's the least I could do to help a friend out." Hope says as she continues to walk up the stairs and into her bedroom. In the end, life was slowly starting to become normal again for the group. Though it wouldn't be the same as it was before, but it's a start. And who knows? Maybe each participant gain a little something out of this adventure too. But to gain something, they must also lose something in the process.

_**And that is the end of the Italy/HRE arc of this story! Or is it? As I wrote in the last chapter, you guys can submit questions to the character of the fanfic. However I got none. It made me very sad to say the least. I'm not forcing you guys to send questions, but it would be really funny if you did, because I got an idea to go with this, and it would be funny. So if you guys forget the rules, I'll post them on here again for ya! **_

_**1. Each person gets to ask a maximum of five questions. **_

_**2. The highest rating they can be is T. I have kids reading this fanfiction you know?**_

_**3. You must send a PM. It's much easier for me then to look at the Reviews to find each question.**_

_**4. It has to be related to the story. Not directly related, but somewhat related to it.**_

**_And that's it. Oh and before I forget, Election Day is on Tuesday (Thank god!), so if any of your readers are over the age of 18, and live in America, GO OUT AND VOTE! Make your voice heard! If you don't vote, then you're part of the problem! Until next time! Stay safe everyone and keep your head up!  
_**

_**~Hopefaith2**  
_


	12. Coming Home and Back Again

_**Hello! Hello! Hello! Hopefaith2 here bringing chapter 12! This is the last filler type chapter I swear! I'm not going to do you wrong like Naruto where they have like twenty filler episodes and stuff. In fact, I hate Naruto, so that is definitely not going to happen. So let's get down to the nitty gritty. I got a couple of things to say before I start this.**_

_**1) Finals are officially over which means...CHRISTMAS BREAK! HELL YEAH!  
**_

_**2) Keep sending me questions! If you need to know the rules, just look back at the previous chapters. They're also at the bottom of this chapter.  
**_

_**3) I have a tumblr (That site is my life right there.), and I follow tons of Hetalia blogs like fuckyeahshittyocs, or aphheadcannons (which you should definitely follow if you get the chance). Well, I was thinking of making a blog concerning this story. That way, you can submit your questions or anything there if you don't want to submit it here. What do you think?  
**_

_**4) Usually I make a joke or two about something I recently did or saw. But due to the events that unfolded, I rather not make anything out of that. You can't make anything like that funny. So let's just keep the victims, and those affected in your prayers okay?  
**_

_**5) This isn't my best chapter. I know I say that about all my chapters, but this took me like a month or write completely because I wrote, then delete, then rewrote, then delete again, and it was a mess. So I hope you enjoy it to some extent, and if you don't, I apologize in advance.  
**_

_**6) I have Eighty nine reviews as of today! Only eleven more till the big 1-0-0. Wow! I did not think I would get this many at all, especially on a popular archive like this. I'm not telling you guys to review so I can have a hundred, but it would be an awesome Christmas gift. Just saying. All I want for Christmas is your reviews! Okay enough of the Mariah Carey reference. Now, read and review this, and most importantly enjoy!  
**_

Hope's Bedroom/Living Room: Present Day, 2012

_First Person P.O.V: Hope_

After the events of the Holy Rome/Wy fiasco, we still had a couple of questions that we really needed answers for. But before we could get them, I had to deliver my Holy Rome paper (which I managed to finish in about two hours with a broken wrist.), and get some more materials from my dorm. Of course America didn't want me to go at all, but I wouldn't have any of that. After arguing about it for a good five minutes, Britain stepped in and came up with a compromise: I could go back to my world as long as someone would accompany me. I wasn't all for this compromise, but I got what I wanted so it would have to do. Personally, I wanted Spain to go with me to make my suite mate Danielle freak out over him, but America volunteered (well he mostly declared to be my escort before anyone could.) I packed up my backpack, well America did. I was just sitting on my bed telling him what I wanted him to pack. He didn't want me to injure myself more, so he decided to pack the things I needed for me because 'heroes always help those in need' or something like that. I swear this man was a giant kid. It's like he wanted to be 'mommy's little helper' or something.

"There you are Hope. One packed backpack ready for you!" America said confidently (and loudly may I add) as he showed off his handiwork through my backpack. I decided to use this to my advantage. If he waned to act like a child, then I would treat him like one.

"Very good America! Would you like a gold star? Or a big smiley face?" I said with much fake enthusiasm and sarcasm in my voice. Apparently, but not very surprisingly, he didn't pick up on it.

"Yes please wait a minute! That's not nice." America said as he pouted so adorably at me. I couldn't help but laugh at it. It was like I was babysitting twenty four seven, and I was enjoying every minute of it. I got up from my bed and walked over to get my backpack from him, but he purposely put it in the air out of my reach. Damn him for being taller than me.

"Now who's not being nice?"

"Well, you started it."

"And you could have been the bigger person and ignored it." I said as I crossed my arms and smirked at him. His counter argument to that was sticking his tongue out at me.

"Real mature. Truly." I said as I grabbed my backpack from him and walked out of my bedroom. I could hear America trying to catch up to me, and succeeding.

"Alright Britain, we're off. We'll be back in an hour or so." I said to Britain.

"Now wait a minute! There is no way in hell that git is going with you! He's going to get you sidetracked and make you spend more time there than needed!"

"I'm sorry if going to the place where I was born, raised, and lived for the past 18 years is seen as a waste of time. Truly."

"That's not what I meant. I mean I don't want you there for so long. Who knows what the Phantom might do while you're gone. I rather not risk that, so Japan is going with you."

"Japan? Seriously?!" America said in shock. I started to chuckle at his reaction. Secretly, I was glad I didn't have to go with America. I would never hear the end of it with the roommates if I brought him back. Speaking of Japan, he was wearing a regular T-shirt, pants and sneakers (which makes me wonder if he put that on or America forced him to wear it). He bowed to all of us and began to speak.

"Hello America-san, Igirisu-san, Hope-chan."

"Hey Japan. Would you mind coming with me to my dorm to drop off my paper?"

"Yes. I would like that. I am curious about how you live." Japan said so formally. Then again, I don't know if he said that because of customs or because he really meant it.

"But I wanted to go!" America said childishly as he crossed his arms and pouted. I rolled my eyes at the display and walked to him.

"I'll let you come with me next time, America."

"Pinky Promise?" He said as he pulled out his pinky. I chuckled and put my pinky in his.

"Pinky promise. Now I'll be back soon. Let's go Japan." I walked nearby Japan, opened my book, and said the magic words.

Hope's College Dorm: Present Day 2012

_First Person P.O.V: Hope_

Thankfully, my dorm was just the way I left it. I was glad for that. It was nice to know my suite mates didn't touch my stuff when I was gone.

"You can stay out of here and sit at the table. I'm going to change my clothes, and put my paper on my desk. I won't take long, I promise. " Japan sat down at the table obediently, though he was kinda anxious being here because this a girl's suite. Maybe I shouldn't tell him that the building is coed.

"Take all the time you need Hope-chan. I will wait here for you." I smiled warmly at him. I walked to my room, and close the door behind me. I took off the clothes France got me, put them away, and put on a purple and white striped tank top, and dark blue jeans. I put my hair up in a ponytail, and my contacts in. I looked at myself in a mirror and smiled. I looked pretty damn good if I didn't say so myself. I was about to go out until I heard a scream that reminded me of a banshee.

"OH MY GOD! WHO LET A BOY IN OUR SUITE!" I opened the door a bit, hoping and praying that it wasn't them. I was wrong. My room mates, Alicia, Alex, and Ann were there, looking at Japan in total shock. Japan looked worse. He looked like someone just kicked his puppy in front of him or something. I should have made him come into the room with me, but then it would have been even more awkward.

"Who are you, and why are you here?" Alicia said suspiciously to Japan. He stood up and bowed to all of them.

"_Konnichiwa_. I came here with Hope-chan. I was waiting for her here while she retrieved a few things from her room."

"Hope's here?!" Alicia asked in shock. I opened the door and walked out nonchalantly. I stopped at the table and leaned against the table. Their faces were in total shock.

"Hope! You're alive!" Alicia screamed as she hugged me extremely tight. I rolled my eyes at her.

"Of course I'm alive you moron! What gave you the idea that I was dead?"

"You've been missing for almost the entire weekend! We thought you left for home, but your folks always picked up because they never let you take the train back! And no one has seen you outside or inside the dorm! And what happened to you?! Your hair is all straight and done for once!" You inconsiderate-

"And your wrist! It's in a cast! And you're covered in bandages and bruises! What the hell happened to you?!" A couple of things surprised me. First, the amount of time I was going on missions and dealing with other events that happened was about two to three weeks. And yet, only two to three days have only passed here, which most likely mean that an entire week there is an entire day here. Second, my injuries I acquire from the other side didn't disappear or even heal. They were still there in the same condition they were when I left. Maybe because time is slower here, that would mean my injuries would heal slower or something.

"I promise I will explain everything in due time. For now, you have to trust me and not ask any questions. This is my friend Kiku Honda. He's a foreign exchange student from Japan, and I'm his tour guide for the weekend. He was waiting patiently here for me. Kiku, these are my room mates Alicia, Alex, and Ann."

"_Konnichiwa_. It's a pleasure to meet you all." Kiku said as he bowed to them. Ann looked like she understood a little more than Alicia and Alex did. But they didn't ask questions, so I was glad for that.

"Before you could give him the usual interrogation, Kiku and I are just leaving. I had to grab a few things, and then we're going out again."

"On a date?" Alex screamed happily. Alex is the one that was always going out to find Mr. Right for herself, or for others (most of the time yours truly). She usually went to bars and clubs (And drag other people to go with her) to meet guys and get numbers. My theory was that she went to bars and clubs to fill the emptiness of not having someone to love her and the such. More or less, a boyfriend. Of course she denied it, but I still thought it's true. She's from the New England area, and is Ukrainian (and proud of that fact). It's funny and ironic that she has a huge chest like Ukraine from 'Hetalia'. I'm not even kidding. Her chest is huge! Just like her chest, she has a huge mouth. She couldn't keep anything to herself to save her life. Oh and she hated Russia and everything Russian (which is very funny since Ukraine and Russia are siblings in the anime). I started to blush at the suggestion.

"No. We're not going on a date. We have important matters to discuss."

"And what are those matters?" Alicia asked curiously.

"Those matters aren't any of your concern. You don't tell me everything. I have the right to do the same."

"So that means you aren't going to tell us how you injured yourself like that?" Ann asked me curiously. I looked at Kiku, who didn't say anything. Thanks for having my back Kiku. I rolled my eyes and took a deep breath.

"Let's just say I opened my mouth a little too much, and I paid the price for it. The end. Let's go Kiku. We're wasting time. I'll see you guys tomorrow in class." I said as I walked out of the dorm with Kiku behind me. I could literally felt their looks on us as we left. I automatically knew that at least one of them thought that I got mixed up in the wrong crowd, or something ridiculous like that. I would just let them keep guessing. Maybe one day, I'll tell them the truth, and maybe one day, they might believe me and understand. For now, I had to keep it under wraps. At least until my job was done. At least they understood my predicament and respected me enough to wait till I leave to say something about it.

"I knew she would date an Asian guy!"

On second thought, forget what I said about them being understanding and respectful. I forgot who I was talking about for a minute.

Regina's Cafe and Pizzeria: Present Day 2012

_First Person P.O.V: Hope_

"Well that went better than I expected. At least they didn't try to interrogate you, and they seem to buy that foreign exchange student thing." It was an Italian place called Regina's that has more than just Italian cuisine. They also made sandwiches and burgers. I ordered my usual, the barbecue chicken sandwich with mozzarella cheese. Kiku also knew what he wanted. He order the shrimp parmigiana, which surprised me a bit. Must be from hanging out with Italy. So we're sitting here, eating our food in awkward silence. I think that coming back to my home made me realize that everything I went through wasn't a dream. I really did go back in time to the Colonial Times, the Elizabethan Era, and Napoleonic Era. I really did meet Thomas Jefferson, The Queen Elizabeth the First, and The Emperor Napoleon and Empress Jospehine. And I really did take on this villain bent on world domination. It just finally sunk in to me that the world, both worlds, were on me. If I fucked this up, then we were all doomed.

"Hey Kiku? Can I ask you something?" He stopped eating his meal, and looked up at me.

"Of course Hope-chan. What is on your mind?"

"Do you think I can do this? This Reader thing I mean. Do you think I can really save the world and defeat the Phantom?"

"_Hai_. I believe you can. Why are you asking me this Hope-chan?"

"Well, I don't think I can because I'm really different from you guys you know? I'm just this college student from New York who has no idea what she's doing. You all seem to know what you're doing, and I don't know if I'm doing this right or not. And you guys have knowledge beyond your years, and I just have a high school diploma."

"_Koketsu ni irazunba koji wo ezu_." He just spoke Japanese to me in response of my fears.

"And that in English is?"

"If you do not enter the tiger's cave, you will not catch its cub. It means you can't do anything without risking something. We took risks to attain that knowledge. And now, you must do the same as the Reader. There will be times that you have to make decisions that have risks along with the decision you make. _Saru mo ki kara ochiru_."

"And that means?"

"Even monkeys fall from trees. That means nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes. We all have done things in our past that we are not proud of. We all have made mistakes. Just because we are what we are does not mean we are perfect. We know you will make mistakes during this. And just as we did, you will learn from your mistakes as well. And no matter what do not forget this: _Keizoku wa chikara nari_."

"Sorry for sounding like a broken record, but that means?"

"Continuance also is power or strength."

"And that's basically saying don't give up?"

"_Hai_. Just continuing to hold on will reveal strength and power. Continuing on after a setback is its own kind of strength. Perseverance is power. Whatever happens during this, you must never give up. You must continue fighting against the Phantom and defeating him. Do you understand now Hope-chan?"

"I do understand. Thank you Kiku. I really appreciate the pep talk."

"Of course Hope-chan. Have you finished your meal already?" He asked in shock as my hero was already devoured. I chuckled while being a little bit embarrassed.

"It's just that delicious. But hey! We can get a doggie bag for that, and take it back with us. Just keep it away from Italy and Romano." I said as we laughed (well I did, and Japan chuckled, which counted as a laugh.). We paid for our meal, well Japan did saying how it's custom for him to pay the meal. Not being the one to upset customs, I let him pay while thanking him. He of course, didn't mind and was welcome. After we left the place, I saw the Green Lotus. It's famous for it's bubble tea. Apparently, Japan noticed it as well.

"Kiku? Would you like to get some bubble tea?"

"Hai, but I don't want to waste your time. You have things to do and I would be rude to keep your from them."

"Nah. Britain's just being a worrywart. We have time to get some bubble tea if you want some. Sides, I never had bubble tea. Now is the best time to try it. Let's go!"

"Are you sure Hope-chan?"

"Positive. Alot of students on campus raved about this place and their bubble tea. Come on." I said as I gently tugged Japan a couple of time to get him to go. He sighed and finally gave in, while he was smiling. We began walking to the bubble tea place, got us some orders of tea. I just got a regular smoothie, letting my fear of not liking it get the best of it. Kiku got the tapioca I think it was. Either way, it was white, and he was loving it.

"Now aren't you glad I made you go?" I said smugly as we walked out of the place. Kiku didn't hear me. He was too busy enjoying the tea, and frankly, this smoothie was really good. I shrugged and continue walking with him as we drank our drinks. I got what I wanted, and he had a pretty good time here, which I was happy for. I didn't want to have such a bad time after pretty much having me pushed on him to go with me. Maybe, this won't be the last time he comes here with me. And if it isn't the last time, then I'm definitely taking him to Nintendo World in the city, and the Botannical Garden. I'm sure he'll like that a lot. And I took out the book from my bag, and opened it up.

"Hope-chan?" I stopped and looked up at him.

"Yes?"

"Is it possible that I can come back here with you again?" I smiled brightly at that question. To me, that meant he had enjoyed himself enough to come back. That or he was easily influenced and culture shocked or something like that.

"Sure. We can definitely do this again." And with that, I chanted the magic words, and sent us back to the house.

World Conference Room: Present Day, 2012

_Third Person P.O.V: Omniscient_

Hope and Japan got back around sunset, which was six thirty. Britain was glad they came back (finally), and was glad to see that Japan enjoyed himself while he was there. She decided not to tell him that her suitemates met him and made him really uncomfortable and awkward, and the discussion they had. As soon as they were situated, Germany decided to call a meeting to discuss everything that unfolded so far. Hope just wanted to lie on her bed and relax, but unfortunately for her, Germany wouldn't give her that luxury. She, like the rest, had a part in this, therefore she had to be there as well. As of now, the countries (including Italy, who Germany had to threaten him with no pasta for the rest of the night if he tried to skip out on it), and Reader were all sitting at the table trying to out what do to now since the events the days before. And when I write trying, I mean arguing back and forth. Germany obviously had enough of the arguing and decide to put his foot down.

"Everyone shut up!" He screamed at the table, shutting everyone up quickly and easily. Germany then took a deep breath and continued to speak.

"Obviously, we have a dilemma on our hands. The Phantom's surprise attack on us showed that we weren't as ready as we thought we were. The Phantom somehow figured out where we live, and can now come here as much as he pleases. And above all everything just got harder and more difficult for us. Anyone else have anything to add to that?" Germany asked the group. Hope's hesitantly raised her hand.

"Germany recognizes miss Hope Marianne. You may speak." Hope smiled and took a deep breath. She stood up and smoothed out her tank top. She cleared her throat and addressed the group.

"Here's what we know so far about our enemy. Like Germany said, The Phantom knows where we live and attack us anytime. Also, with Wy's involvement in this means, in my opinion, that he can use anyone to his advantage. In short, it mean that everyone, whether country or micronation, is in danger of bcoming his puppet. And lastly, he can manipulate the countries that aren't in his control using their history against them like what he did with Italy." She said as she looked around to the countries. After she was done, she sat back down in her seat.

"She makes good point. As long as we're here, we are ducks of the sitting. I say we show Phantom consequences to actions _Дa_?" Russia said as a pink aura started to seep out from him.

"We can't just attack him without a plan! You western countries are always so eager to go fight someone. We need a plan to counterattack his." China screamed at Russia, showing off his thousand year old knowledge.

"Well than what can we do? We don't have a lot of options here!" France said warily as he tightened his grip on his handkerchief.

"Wait a minute! What about the World Conference we were gonna have next month?" Canada screamed, or tried to. Hope looked at Canada oddly.

"World Conference? What World Conference?"

"The world meeting we were having next month! And I'm totally going to be the hero there too!" America screamed happily to her.

"Yes. The day we left you alone, we agreed to set up a Conference with the other countries about this predicament. They were all started to get afraid about this, and needed something to comfort them. So far, we don't have a way to console them except one." Britain spoke as he made his way to where Hope was sitting.

"And that one way is?"

"You. We would take you to the meeting, where you would explain to them what you would and how you would do it." Japan said simply and calmly to her. Hope narrowed her eyes, and crossed her arms.

"Very interesting idea. And you were you guys going to tell me this the morning of? Or the night before?"

"Look, we were looking for more options, and we couldn't think of anything other than that. We could say it, but it wouldn't do much. The only way we could really do this if we got a live testimony from the Reader herself."

"I see. Do I have to go?"

"No. You do not have to go. If you want, you can go back home and stay there for a few days. Either way, the Phantom would not be able to find us since we would not be here. However, that would leave you unprotected against him if he does find you at your home." Japan said again calmly. Hope sighed as she rubbed her eyes and groaned. _Damn. I hate when Japan makes a sound argument._

"Fine. I guess I'm going with you. I rather not endanger my friends and family, and it might help the other countries if I went."

"Thank you love. Now, we have one more thing to discuss."

"Yes. What will we do with Wy? She's in the basement right now." Japan said somewhat worriedly.

"I will interrogate Wy. I will make sure she tells us exactly what we want to know."

"No offense dude, but you might scare her. She's like a kid right? Wouldn't she want someone comforting to talk to. Not some big scary guy?" America asked while nervously laughing. Germany gives him a dangerous look, slightly freaking him out.

"For once I agree with you. I may not be the best choice. Our best bet of getting answers from her if we have someone motherly, and sincere to interrogate her."

"Like _Speranza bella_! She cheered me up about Holy Rome. She can cheer up Wy as well!" Italy interrupts happily once again putting Hope back in the spotlight. Hope sighed again, knowing she would be the one chosen for that.

"I guess I can try and talk to her. Though I don't know how much I'll get out of her, I'll certainly try." Hope smiled at the group warmly.

"And now that's done how about we call this little meeting adjourned? That way I can get some-"

"SHE'S GOING WITH ME NEXT BASTARDS!" Romano screamed all of a sudden, interrupting Hope, and shocking everyone in the room.

"Aiyah! She is going with me! It only makes sense because I'm the oldest!"

"That's not a good reason!_ Esperanza_ should go with me next because she speaks my language! _El lenguaje de la pasión_, no?"

"Spain-san, that is not a good reason either."

"Damn right it isn't! She's going with me because she owes me! I basically saved her life tomato bastard!"

"But what me fratello? Doesn't she go with both of us because we're both Italy?"

"No! Because you keep hanging out with the potato bastard!"

"But didn't she save Italy during that, making you both even?"

"You stay out of this potato eater!"

"She should go with me because I'm the hero and she's my citizen!"

"You already had a turn with her! You can't have another turn with her before everyone else at least had a turn you git!" Britain screamed at America as almost everyone started to argue about who would go with her next. Hope, already annoyed by the fact that they made this whole idea without consulting her first, is starting to get more annoyed that they're doing it again. Finally, she just had enough.

"ENOUGH!" The countries all ceased their arguing and screaming and looked at a very angry looking Hope. Hope took a deep breath and continued where she left off.

"I already made the order for who I'm going with next. And before you ask, I used a randomizer online to give me the order." Hope said as she got up from her chair and walked to the chalkboard in front of the table. She picked up a piece of chalk and began writing the country's name in order. A few minutes later, she was finished. She put the chalk down and faced the men. Her handwriting, which was in print, but had some elements of script in it was on the board. This was the order:

_1. America_

_2. Britain  
_

_3. France  
_

_4. Spain  
_

_5. Japan  
_

_6. Canada  
_

_7. Germany  
_

_8. China  
_

_9. Italy  
_

_10. Russia  
_

_11. Romano  
_

"This is the official order. No ifs, ands, or buts. America, Britain, and France were placed in the first three because I went to their history already. The next eight were randomized. This is the official order. And I don't care if any of you don't like it because this is how it's gonna be. Now, if you excuse me, I'll be going with Spain to the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella tomorrow morning. I need all the research and rest I can get. Good day gentlemen!" Hope said as she walked out of the meeting and into her bedroom ignoring the Spaniard's cheers, and an Italian's cursing. She turned on her laptop and began looking up information of Isabella of Spain and her marriage.

_I should do that more often. Makes me feel so much better and empowered. But for now _Hope thought as she closed her laptop, and plug in her headphones from her iPhone.

_I'm going to take a much needed break and give me some me time. At least until tomorrow anyway. Cause after tomorrow, nothing is going to the same. _Hope started to play her music and closed her eyes to take in the peace, the silence and relaxation.

*CRASH!*

"Germany! Save me!"

"ITALY!"

Hope chuckled to her self as she laid down on her bed, and continued surfing through the web on her phone. So much for peace and silence. But that was the way she liked it. She was very happy that despite all that happened, that they can still manage to joke around (well not intentionally). Maybe this whole thing will turn out for the better. Besides, she knew better than any of them to use laughter and joy to deal with the things around her. And starting tomorrow, she's going to need to laugh and smile a lot more to get through this, and she knows for a fact that she won't be the only one.

_**And there you have it guys! Chapter 12! I hoped you enjoy some parts of it. Review with your favorite parts, your not so favorite parts, and constructive criticism. I LOVE constructive criticism, and it would help me as a fanfiction writer. Next chapter we go into the history of El **__Reino de España_! So brace yourselves for Spanish music, clothes, and possibly a duel? Stick around because you don't want to miss it! Until next time guys! And happy holidays!  


_**~Hopefaith2  
**_


	13. La Marcha Granadera

_**Hey folks! So I uploaded this early in the year, but I hated it. Okay I didn't really hate it, but I didn't like how it came out. It sounded amazing in my head, but on paper, it didn't sound really good. I decided to rewrite and upload a couple of days later, but those days turned into weeks, which turned into more than a month. It's a new semester, and I've been trying to adjust to my classes, which included a mandatory language course (which I chose Italian.). So far, I'm speaking the language pretty good, but writing it is another story. On the bright side, I'm not given much homework, so that means more updates! Anywho, here's the revised version of Chapter 13. You guys know the drill: Read, review and enjoy!  
**_

**Mission Four: La Marcha Granadera! Team Up With Spain and Become a Bride!  
**

Living Room: Present Day, 2012

Today was Friday, the last weekday and the beginning of the weekend. The day was a very happy reminder for all, especially Italy, and America. Italy didn't have to train (for some odd reason, Germany let them have the weekends off), so he could sleep and eat pasta to his heart's content. America would toss of all of his papers that were sent from his boss aside to tackle on Monday morning. Until then, he played video games and watched movies with Japan and Britain to his heart's content. Sometimes, other countries would join and have an all out video game tournament and movie marathon.

For Hope, Friday here had an interesting and somewhat complex twist. Because of the time difference from both worlds (which tended to change at times and became very unpredictable based on their progress with the dilemma), she had to leave in the wee hours of the morning to attend her classes on time. Because it was Friday afternoon here, that meant it was still early Friday morning in her world, so she still had class to attend. The time differences were hard for her to remember and keep up, but she manages pretty well. Once she returned to this world, it would only be round mid afternoon. Which meant while she from between two to three hours (each class was an hour and twenty five minutes long), she would only be gone for about a half an hour, an hour at most.

Spain was in the living room, waiting anxiously on the couch. Romano was eating a tomato while reading _The Prince_ by Niccolò Machiavelli. He thoroughly enjoyed what Machiavelli's stance and opinion about how a ruler should be toward his people. And he also idolized Machiavelli very much (and still do to this day while his brother is still very afraid of him).

"Romano! Can you believe it? _Esperanza_ and I are going to my history today! Isn't that great?"

"Shut up tomato bastard! It's not fair how your stupid ass is going next and I'm the last one on that damn list!" Romano screamed angrily at him as he continued reading his book. Spain frowned for a moment, then smiled as he scooted closer to Romano and hugged him.

"Aw Romano. Don't be mad! There's no reason to get mad over that. I'm sure _Esperanza_ didn't mean for you to be last. And besides, If I made that list, you would have been the first!"

"Get off me damn tomato bastard! I'm sick of you and your damn hugs!"

"No you're not! If you were sick of them, then you would have pushed me off by now!" Spain said as he hugged his former colony tighter, much to Romano's dismay. The front door opened, and in came Hope with a besotted look on her face. She was wearing a black and blue dress, with black leggings and boots. Her hair was in a bun with a black headband. Her bruises were healing nicely as they were not as noticeable as before. Britain healed her black eye so she wouldn't receives any stares or questions from her professors (much to her dismay because she thought she looked bad ass with it). Her left wrist was still in a cast, as Britain believed that it was much easier to explain a broken wrist than a black eye. She's humming to herself as she walked in with her backpack on her shoulder.

"Hello guys! How are you? I hope you guys are having a splendid day!"

"_Ciao bella_. What's with you today?"

"Yeah. You're really happy today!" Hope set down her backpack, rushed to the couch, and sat between the two of them.

"I am very happy! Would you two like to know why?" She said in a teasing voice.

"Of course!"

"Yeah I guess."

"Well, I met someone today in my History class today." She said as a blush started to rise from her cheeks. Romano looked up from his book in interest at what Hope said while keeping a calm face. Spain was the total opposite. He was very ecstatic for the Reader, and it definitely showed.

"Really?! _Felicidades_! Tell us the details! How did it happen? What's his name?" Hope chuckled at Spain's enthusiasm and excitement.

"Alright. I'll tell you, but once I'm done, we're going to your history alright?"

"_Claro_! _Claro_! Now tell us!"

"Alright. Romano, would you like to hear it too?" Romano blushed, having been caught being interested. He sighed as he bookmarked the page, and closed his book.

"Yeah. Whatever." Hope smiled and started her tale. He was a journalism major named Brian. He was a year older than her, having turned nineteen in January. They both were in the course that was mandatory for all students. In a class assignment which involved two students to partner, he went up to her and asked to be her partner. She accepted shyly, and they got to work. In the beginning, she mostly listened, only saying a few things here and there. As time went by, she started to warm up to him and began speaking to him more. By the end of the class, the two really clicked. He offered to help her carry her books with her injured wrist, but she respectfully declined. Before they left the class, they exchanged numbers, and went on their separate ways. Romano nodded in approval and continued reading his book. Spain on the other hand did more than nod.

"_Esperanza_! I'm so happy for you! Look at you growing up so fast!" Spain said as he hugged her tightly. Hope blushed, embarrassed by Spain's reaction.

"Oh come on Spain. Don't be like that. You're making me sound like I'm a kid." She complained as she gently pushed herself out of his embrace.

"I can't help it! This is so adorable! So are you two going to set a date or what?"

"Lay off her tomato bastard! She just met the guy, not getting married!"

"It's alright Romano. Let him go off into his own happy world. Sides, I gotta get ready for this trip. Something tells me that this isn't going to be a walk in the park like the others. I'll be back in a bit." Hope got off the couch, picked up her backpack and walked to her bedroom. However, she didn't notice France in the kitchen preparing dinner with an uncertain look on his face.

"___Amérique_ will not like this when he finds out." He said as continued preparing for dinner.

Almost one hour later...

Hope came down the stairs and into the living room almost an hour later. She changed from the outfit she wore at school to something more simplistic. She was wearing one of the shirts given to her by her university for free (her school liked to give out a lot of free stuff.), blue jeans and the famous black boots. She was wearing her contacts for the first time in ages due to her glasses being completely broken a couple days back (Chapter 9.) As usual, the book was in her hands as she looked around for Spain.

"Spain? Where are you?"

"In the kitchen! I'm eating churros!" The moment he said churros, Hope's eyes widened as she walked into the kitchen.  
To her surprise, he was actually eating them from a plate full of them.

"Wow. You weren't kidding about the churros huh?"

"Of course I wasn't! Why would I joke about something so delicious as a churro?" Hope chuckled as she rolled her eyes.

"Well then finish that one up. We have to go through your history and defeat the Phantom. That's the reason why we're here in the first place, remember?"

"Ah! _Si_! _Si_! Of course señorita! I'm ready when you are!" Spain said as he finished the last of his churro. Hope rolled her eyes at his enthusiasm. Her eyes started to wander to the churros that were still on the plat. _One churro won't hurt right? Of course not! It's just one little churro. Now wait a minute! You just can't take one of his churros! That would make you look like a greedy fatass! And you can't look like that in front of them! You're the Reader! You can't stuff your face in some sweets! You can't have them judging you as a fat ass or a pig!_ Hope bit her lip as she continued having her inner conflict. She really wanted a churro, but she didn't want Spain or anyone else to judge her for wanting one.

"_Esperanza_? Would you like some churros?" Hope jumped at the sudden question that interrupted her thoughts. She blinked and looked at Spain, who was holding up the plate for her with a smile on her face.

"Really? You're offering it to me? I don't want to be seen as a fat ass or anything of the sort to you."

"Nonsense! I eat these all the time! Sides, you're too skinny anyway. Some meat on your bones will do you some good! _Los ninos_ like women with some meat on their bones!" Spain said as he winked and handed her a churro. Hope took the churro, and ate it happily as she mumbled something about not being too skinny. Spain laughed and continued eating his churro.

"After this, we go to your history. We can't stall any longer. Agreed?" Spain nodded and the two ate their churros. After finishing their churros, they were ready to go. With the magic words, Hope and Spain made their way to October 16, 1469: The wedding of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castille.

El Palacio de los Vivero (Vallodoid), Spain: October 19th, 1469

Hope and Spain managed to land in the Patio of the building. It was very simplistic looking in contrast to the other buildings she had been into, but she assumed that was because of the time. It was a rectangular cube shaped building with window, black rails, and white columns. It contained two floors, including the ground floor. But, the building was actually one part of the entire building.

The building was actually called the _Royal Audiencia and Chancellería of Valladolid. _The entire building was a jurisdiction site of all of the Spanish province of Castille. The building at one time had a moat, gates, walls, and the sort that made it seem like fort, but were taken down in 1475 out of fear that the people would use the building to turn against the monarchy.

In Hope's opinion, that idea was not only cautious, but pretty smart as well. She knew during protests against the monarchy, the people would find their way to destroy something very important to the monarchy (i.e Boston Tea Party, The Storming of the Bastille, etc.). And while those events didn't happen until the far future, the idea never really blew up in their faces. Because of their smart thinking, the building continues to stand where it is today in good condition. Obviously, the Castillians made a very wise choice about the whole taking down moats and gates and such.

She knew at this point that she and Spain would be in some elaborate outfits to accustom to the time. She noticed the differences between each dress as she went through different eras and places. She was wearing a beautiful purple plush velvet gown with an embroidered taffeta panel, and long flowing sleeves also with embroidered lining. The outfit also came with a matching headdress that a train in the back of her head which extended to her neck.

"Esperanza, estás muy bonita en tu vesitdo." (Hope, you are very pretty in your dress.) Spain said happily as he began to check out her newest gown.

"Gracias querida. You don't half bad yourself." (Thank you dear.) Hope said slyly as she began to check out the Spaniard's attire. His outfit consist of a burgundy collared shirt that features billowed sleeves and a lace-up neck, as well as a brown faux suede vest that's trimmed in black faux leather. Around his waist was black faux leather belt that features a golden buckle which matched nicely to the outfit in her opinion. For the bottom part of his ensemble were black pants and leather boots that was a brown as the vest.

"Do you know exactly where they're getting married at _chica_?"

"According to my research, they were married in a room called the _Sala Rica_. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a picture of the room, so we're on our own for that. May I ask you a question?"

"_Claro_! What's your question?"

"Since we're in a time when Spain was just a bunch of provinces, ad a entire country, what does that makes you? Are you still Spain, or are just a bunch of provinces, or the biggest Spanish province?" Hope asked curiously to the nation. He smiles slowly dissipated. She asked a really good question...which he hadn't even consider answering. It wasn't because he hadn't thought about it, but he didn't expect her to ask such a question like that to him. He nervously chuckled as he looked around, hoping to think of something that will be suited enough for an answer.

"Well _señorita_, I could be many things. I could be the combinations of the provinces despite not being being completely unified. Or I could one of the biggest ad important province, Aragon which explains why I'm still here! Yeah! I'm the province of Aragon! Does that answer your question _chica_?" Spain asks happily, hoping that she would buy his answer because he really didn't have any idea what else to say to her.

"Yes. It does. And it gives me a brilliant idea. So we know the Phantom is either going to strike the bride or the groom to find a way that the marriage doesn't go on as scheduled. No one knows about this because it is a secret affair because other kings of provinces wanted Isabella to marry them or their sons, correct?"

"_Si_. You really did your research on this, didn't you?"

"What can I say? I'm the Reader. If I didn't do that right, then I would be very much of out a job. Since you represent Aragon, you go and speak to the groom."

"Wait a moment. What are you going to do_ Esperanza_?"?

"Me? Well I'm going to speak to the bride...as Castille." Hope said mischievously as she smirked at Spain, and walked away to find the bride. Spain blinked and scratched his head in confusion. What did she meant that when she said hat? Was she going to impersonate as a province? Would she get away with saying something like that? Could she even do that in the first place? Spain thought about it for another couple of minutes. He was certain this was all part of an interesting plan Hope thought up. She just..didn't tell him about the rest of the plan. But he had no time to think this further! He had to speak to Ferdinand and let him know about the upcoming danger for him and his bride to be. And with that, he ran as fast as he could to find the future King of Spain.

The Sala Rica

An hour later, the wedding was about to commence in the _Sala Rica_. Both Hope and Spain had such hard times finding where exactly the bride and groom were in. Fortunately, they found the rooms and warned both members of the wedding party to the oncoming threat. At the moment, Antonio is standing next to the groom, the future king of Spain himself. He was dressed in an outfit that was very similar to Spain except he had no belt, and his shirt was light gold color.

Hope was on the other side of the aisle. For some reason, her head was facing the aisle, and she didn't say a word. She stood there quiet and reserved. While Spain didn't see that as much as something to worry about, assuming that she was hard at work thinking of something to use against the Phantom. But he wasn't going to deny something was odd about her. Her hair seemed more reddish tan usual. And was it just him or did her eyes seem more bluish? He was about to ask her when the bride finally made her appearance.

She was wearing a very simple but beautiful bridal gown with white and yellow fabric, and a huge white veil covering her face. Her dress was similar to the dress Hope had on due to the fashion back then. She started to walk down the very long aisle by herself. Ferdinand looked at her in total awe, which in turn made Spain very happy. The bride was only half way done walking when a man jumped behind her and held a sword to her neck.

"Isabella!" The man called out to his bride, who's cries for help were muffled by the hand that lied on her mouth. Spain held the man back while looking very serious. The young man with white, blond hair that is out and wild, making bangs that appear a little bit above his blood red eyes. He's wearing a long black tunic, and tan-colored breeches. Over the tunic is a black cloak, and a hat of the same color, and sickening grin on his face.

"So you are the man they call Heinrich no? The one that tried to kidnap_ Italia, _and almost killed_ Esperanza_ almost a week ago?"

"_Ja_. I am. And you are?"

"_Yo soy El_ _Reino de España. _And if you don't speak Spanish, then I'll say it again in English: I am the kingdom of Spain. And I will severely punish you for hurting those I care about."

"Oh. I'm shaking in my little boots. You obviously don't realize the position you're in. I have a hostage, and if you anyone moves any closer or comes after us, then she dies." Heinrich said as he slowly walked backwards with his hauled her over his shoulder and ran out the room.

"_Esperanza_, stay with Ferdinand. I'll get her back myself!" Spain screamed seriously as he ran out of the room, and after the fake as soon as he was out of sight. He was going to get her back, or die trying.

Patio

Heinrich, on the other hand was three fourths of the way there to the portal. He found it odd that his hostage had said or done nothing against. According to the Phantom, Isabella was a strong woman who never stood down against anything. And yet she had done nothing against him.

"What's the matter my queen? Giving up already?" He said as he taunted her to get some sort of reaction from her. Again, she said nothing to him.

"You won't be marrying your beloved today, or become queen. And the boss and I are making sure of that by finishing you off." Heinrich said smugly to the bride, trying to get a reaction of her. Once again, she refused to say a word. Heinrich hated being ignored, especially by a woman who thought she was better than him. He set her down, and began to crack her his fingers at her.

"You better answer me when I'm fucking talking to you." Heinrich said with venom with his voice. What he didn't know was that the bride was slowly taking out the knife that was hidden in her sleeve.

"I said-" The fake started to say, but started to scream in pain. He looked down to see a knife plunged into his abdomen by the bride.

"_No me parará_.(You will not stop me.)" The bride whispered in his ear as she pulled the knife out and. The bride, after realizing what she had done, dropped the bloody knife onto the ground. She stared at the knife on the ground for a few moments.

"You twisted little bitch." He said menacingly as he instantly put his hand on the stab wound. The bride glared at him as she reached for the knife again to finish him off. However, she had a change of heart as took a deep breath and moved away from the knife. Suddenly, she felt a force hitting her cheek, making her fall to the ground.

"You should have picked up that knife. Because now, I'm going to make you pay for that." Heinrich said as the black aura from before came back again. The bride quickly picked herself up and ran out of the patio and inside the building. Heinrich wasted no time and ran after her.

Hallway

Spain couldn't let him win. He couldn't let him get away with this again. He wasn't going to let someone he cared about down again. He was going to save her. As if on cue, the bride started running in his direction. He was happy beyond relief to see her alive and well.

"Isabella! ¡Estás bien!" Spain screamed happily. Before the bride could get a word out, a dark bolt misses her narrowly. Heinrich is catching up to her fast casting dark bolts at her. He had to get to her before that whatever it was did.

"This time, I won't miss!" Heinrich charged a huge dark energy bolt and flung it at her. She barely managed to get out of range as it landed behind her, making her fly a few feet in the land. She landed harshly on the ground as the veil was ripped off and tore into pieces. The dress was dirty and ripped and at some parts, were stained with blood. Spain had to cover his face from the extent of the blast.

"¡Isabella! ¡Isabella! ¡Hablame!" Spain screamed hysterically as the light show ceased. As he opened his olive green eyes, they widen in shock. He expected to find a bloody and bruised Isabella, but he didn't. He found a bloody and bruised Hope instead.

"Esperanza?" Spain whispered in shock, not believing that it was her the whole time.

"What the fuck? I had that damn girl the whole time? Well, I may not gotten my assignment done, but I'm sure that phantom guy will be please when he finds out that I killed the Reader." Heinrich smiled smugly at the sight of the bruised body. Hope gained consciousness, and started to get away from him by dragging her body on the floor. Heinrich chuckled at her attempt to get away, and began to walk toward her, enjoying the moment.

"Now does this brings me back. Yes. This reminds me of how you looked the last time we met. You were trying so hard to protect that Italian. And you almost ended dying for it too. How fucking pathetic." The college student ignored him as she continued her attempt to get away from him.

I'll admit, the stabbing was pretty bold of you. I never took you as the knife wielding type. But they way you flinched and hesitated when you had the chance to do it again made it clear to me. You're still playing it fucking safe." Heinrich stopped walking and just watched her slowly trying to get up from the ground.

"You're too scared to take risks, or to use the big, scary weapons. The things that kill people. You won't last if you keep playing it safe. And to guarantee that, I'm going to end you right here, right now!" Heinrich said as he began to charge another dark energy ball at her, but it was intercepted by a huge ax almost slicing his head off. Heinrich barely managed dodge the huge weapon, and get out with his head.

"What the hell was that?" He asked himself as he looked to around and found an extremely pissed off Spaniard with a huge ax, ready to swing again.

"Next time, I won't miss. I promise you." Spain said sternly as he got into position to swing his ax once more. Heinrich Glared at him as he prepared to create another dark energy ball. Spain moved his ax in front of him, ready to take whatever Heinrich threw at him. Suddenly, a fire ball hits Heinrich square in the chest, causing him to fall back a bit. Heinrich and Spain turned to see Hope, standing on her two feet with flame covered hands. Heinrich laughed

"Hope. Didn't we go through this before? You tried to hit me with your pathetic little fireballs, and they don't do a damn thing. So why don't you just give up and get death over it. I'll make it fast and painless for you." Hope responded by releasing two more fireballs at the fake, pushing backwards even more.

"Alright, this is getting really annoying now. Cut it out before I get really angry." Heinrich said in a slightly threatening tone. Hope smirked as she released two more fireballs to hit him in the chest causing to fall backwards once again.

"Didn't you hear what I said! I said stop it right now! I'm getting real pissed off and you're just wasting your pathetic so called magic. So stop and let me kill you!" Heinrich screamed angrily to her. Hope decided to to listen and ceased shooting fireballs at him.

"It seems that you're actually using your brain for once."

"Yeah. It's a pity you didn't do the same. Spain! Now!" Hope screamed with confidence as Spain leap out from the shadows to strike Heinrich with his ax. Heinrich dodged with ease as he took a few more steps backward.

"Ha! Was that your big plan Hope? I knew you weren't very bright but I expected something better from you!"

'No. This was! Flara!" Hope unleashed one the biggest fireballs she ever created. The fireball directly hit Heinrich's chest which caused him to fall backwards to the window that was behind. The fake swore and screamed as he fell out of the second story window and landed on the concrete ground below with thud. Hope and Spain rushed toward the window and see the mangled body surrounded by purple blood (which Hope is hoping was paint).

"Oh my god." Hope said as she put her hands to her mouth in complete shock as reality hit her. "I stabbed a man one minute, and the next I basically pushed him out the window. I literally killed someone."

"Yeah. It happens all the time. You'll get used to it." Spain said happily as he patted her on the back for a job well done. Hope looked at him like he grew another head. Spain blinked and looked at her with confusion.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"_Si_! You said that he was a creation from Italy's past to get him to join the Phantom right?"

"Yeah. So?"

"So then that means he wasn't a real person to begin with!"

"Well you make a good point." Hope said as she started to shiver violently. Spain noticed this and rubbed her arms using his hands.

"I must of used my flara a little too much. Let's just get back to the house. I'm tired, I'm cold, and want some modern day pleasures."

"Why do we have to go back so soon?"

"Because we did what we were supposed to do. We protected Isabella and Ferdinand long enough for them to get married, which is why Isabella and I switched clothes before the wedding began. So they could get the chance to marry without that jerk Heinrich disrupting them again." Hope said as she crossed her arms and smirked at him.

"But you didn't tell me that was you! You could have been seriously injured or worse!"

"Oh come on. I knew you were going to save me regardless if you knew I was Isabella or not. And you did, so happy ending and all that crap."

"You were lucky Esperanza. You didn't think this through. If I hadn't been there you would have been taken back to _El Fantasma_. Next time you think of an idea like this, just think it through. Understand?" Hope sighed, knowing that he was right, even if she didn't want to admit it.

"_Si. Yo comprendo._" Spain smiled as he kissed her forehead and gave a hug as a way of saying thank you. Hope rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but blush at the Spaniard's way of saying thank you. She opened the book, and said the magic words. And with that, the duo were sent back to the house.

Kitchen: Present Day, 2012

Hope and Spain came back to a house filled with noise (as usual). America was running off his mouth about something, causing Britain to yell at him. France, always wanting to get under Britain's skin, said something to him which led to a fight between Britain and France. Italy was talking about Pasta, Romano was cursing at Germany, who was reading a book and not giving a rat's. Russia was bothering China, who was trying his hardest to get away from him. Canada was trying to get his brother to calm down, which looked like it was actually working (Since America didn't have anyone to argue with). And Japan was just watching everyone and refraining from speaking. Spain went into the fridge to get some churros and flan for himself and to calm Romano down.

Hope took this as an opportunity to go upstairs, take a shower, and go to bed. She was pleased with herself that she succeeded once again in the fight against the Phantom. She could go to sleep knowing that she did a job well done. Even though, she was still shaken from the events that occurred with Heinrich, she decided to put that in the back of her mind, where she would never have to think about it again.

But that was very far from the truth. So very far indeed.

**MISSION COMPLETE!**

**Hope's Notes**

**The Villain:**

**-Name: The Phantom**

**-Wants to change history, so he could become Emperor of the world.**

**-Found out he wants the book, to help him achieve his goal.**

**-Likes specific type of woman: Pretty, young, brave, and determined.**

**-Abilities: Dark Magic, Levitation, Flying, Mind Control (Proven to be definite by Wy), Manipulation of Countries' history (i.e Italy and HRE), creates minion (Heinrich).**

**The Book:**

**-A powerful tool for The Reader.**

**-Gives the ability to travel throughout History.**

**-Contains all of the world's history inside.**

**-Magic rubs off onto The Reader.**

**Your Partners, The Nations:**

**-America: Heroic (Hero complex); Cheerful; Energetic; Clueless; Can be serious and logical when necessary; Always keeps his promises; Deeply cares about his citizens; Loves Hamburgers; superhuman strength; surprising thinks highly of me.**

******-Britain: Loves Doctor Who; Hates to agree with France and America; Knowledgable about the book, title, and the current situation; Cares very deeply about the rulers especially Queen Elizabeth; Ex-pirate; swordsman; Likes Melanie Fiona; Not a big fan of Cee Lo Green; cares about France more than he lets on.**

******-China: Loves Hello Kitty; Ends sentences with aru.**

**-France: Flirtatious; can be very sweet at times; Actually cares for Britain more than he lets on; Great chef; loves gardening; loves nature; Ex-pirate; swordsman; true to his word; can be frightening when pushed too far; has moments of intelligence.**

**-Germany: Stern; always looking out for everyone.**

**-Italy (Veneziano): Cheerful; Energetic; Crybaby; Makes Ve~ sounds when speaking; Had a first love (HRE), who tragically died in the Thirty Years' War; Waited for him to return after all this time (didn't know about his death until recently).  
**

**-Italy (Romano): Italy's older brother; Hates Germany; Uses the word "bastard" a lot.**

**-Japan: Respectful; Uses -chan when saying my name; Loves videos games, anime, and sushi; Fan of bubble tea; Gives great advice.  
**

**-Russia: Creepy; Ends sentences with da; Drinks vodka straight out the bottle with no problem.**

**-Spain: Optimistic; Affectionate; Friendly; Can't read the atmosphere to save his life (Nor does he try to); Cares deeply for Romano (which Romano secretly likes in my opinion); Willing to protect and defend those he truly care for; Loves churros; HAS A HUGE MUTHA FUCKING AX!  
**

**Nations I've met (so far):  
**

******-Canada: America's brother; Has a polar bear called Kumajiro; Tend to forget he's there; No one seems to remember his name, or existence; Makes AWESOME pancakes; Quiet; Reserved; The total opposite of America.**

******-Austria: Acquantance of Spain; Part of the Haspburg House with Spain and Austria; Has a nobleman like air; Loves classical music; Took care of Italy and HRE when he was younger (under the Hapsburg House)  
**

******_So that was unlucky chapter 13...again. But this time, a little better than before. Before I forget: QUESTIONS! QUESTIONS! QUESTIONS! KEEP SENDING ME QUESTIONS GUYS! I really would like that. If you need to see the rules, they're on chapters 10 and 11! And the Walking Dead premieres this week! I'm so freaking excited because I watch that show religiously! Happy Chinese New Year, and Happy Valentine's Day. Until next time!  
_**

******_~Hopefaith2  
_**


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